The National Care Service Bill Falls Short: Lack of Accountability, Funding, and Fair Work Undermine Health and Social Care Provision in Scotland

The National Care Service Bill will do little to alleviate the crisis in the health and social care sector. Moreover, the Bill undermines local accountability; fails to address fundamental issues of profit and ownership in the sector; does not address trade union collective bargaining rights; and risks further outsourcing and undermining of Fair Work. While there is widespread agreement that Scotland’s care service needs reform or overhaul, the Bill, as currently proposed, does not address the key issues that undermine the provision of social care. Namely: lack of funding to support the provision of quality care, the leakage of public money into profit making companies and the absence of Fair Work and sectoral collective bargaining.

The STUC have written to the First Minister, Humza Yousaf MSP noting his comments during the debate on the NCS at the SNP Trade Union Group hustings for the leadership election. The First Minister agreed the need to pause the Bill to allow intensive engagement with trade unions and local government, stating that a compromise should be found to keep staff local and locally delivered with Fair Work principles, sectoral bargaining, and ethical commissioning at the heart of the NCS. Further, the First Minister stated a commitment to a timetable to improve pay to £15 per hour, working up from £12 per hour and to ensure that those involved in care are not claiming profits that end up in the Cayman Islands. The First Ministers commitments made during the election are very much welcomed, particularly the commitment to allow intensive engagement with trade unions. The STUC and our care sector affiliates stand ready for these intensive engagements to make way for a new NCS Bill, that has the support of workers within the sector.