Scottish Greens withdraw support for National Care Service

The legislation aims to centralise adult social care and social work – delivered by local authorities – into a single body ultimately accountable to ministers.

The shake-up was first announced in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic but since then the proposed National Care Service has suffered delays and uncertainty over costs.

Councils and trade unions have previously withdrawn support for the proposals, while health boards and care organisations have also expressed concerns.

At the Scottish Greens’ conference in Greenock, party members voted to withdraw support for the plans.

The emergency motion was supported by the party’s frontbench MSP and health and social care spokeswoman Gillian Mackay. It said the bill in its current form was “contrary to Green values”.

The motion says the bill going through Holyrood is “not fit for purpose”, and that the plans would “take away local accountability of social care and leave that in the hands of Scottish ministers”.

It also calls the plans a “power grab on local authorities”.

Mackay said the current plans had lost “local accountability” but said her party still supported the principle of a national care service.

She called for a radically reduced bill which retained some aspects of the current proposals – including Anne’s Law, giving people in care homes the right to see and spend time with loved ones, as well as greater support for carers to take respite breaks, and better access to advocacy and information.

She added: “I don’t think everything should be lost, and I hope that people can still come around the table and talk about the vision, the positive vision, for a future national care service, even though this bill has probably now come to an end.”