14th November 2024

Responding to the delay in taking forward stage 2 of the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill, Alex Cumming, Executive Director of Operations at SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health), said:

"There is no question that social care in Scotland needs significant reform and investment. We contributed to the development of, and supported, the recommendations of the Feeley review, and we support the concept of a National Care Service. We hoped that this would mean greater consistency in putting people at the heart of decision-making about their care, a more ethical approach to commissioning and procuring care services, and improved respect for the rights of both workers and people receiving care.

"The Bill before Parliament is a long way from delivering on those aspirations, and has got further away from doing this over time. We continue to believe that a National Care Service is a necessary reform, but it is clear that this Bill is not going to be the vehicle to achieve genuine change that makes a real difference to the lives of people with mental health problems."