Conservative councillors in East Renfrewshire have claimed the planned National Care Service could be an “absolute disaster.”
Under the plan, a series of care boards would be set up to run social care services rather than local councils, a move which would make Scottish ministers directly responsible.
The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) has warned the proposal risks “destabilising” council workforces. It said up to 75,000 staff could be transferred to the new care boards.
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East Renfrewshire’s official response to the plans, submitted in October last year, said funding granted to councils for health and social care needs to be increased and services should remain “locally-led.”
A new report by council officials revealed, while the full budget implications are not yet known, the council budget “could reduce by circa 22 per cent.”
Councillor Paul Edlin, Conservative, said: “Most of you will not have been around in the 1960s like myself when we remember a Labour government having an economic policy of centralisation, which was a disaster.
“This centralisation plan for a National Care Service would be an absolute disaster for this council. Through the IJB, we do a fantastic job of the services we provide. To centralise it, taking money away from the council, is a recipe for disaster.
“We really must realise and understand how bad it would be for the residents of this area, where there is an elderly population who need that service, which is provided so well by the council at the moment.”
His colleague, Councillor Andrew Morrison, added: “This has echoes of the centralisation of the police and fire service, it starts off with good intentions but it doesn’t work out that way.”
He said he wanted residents, care service users and the workforce to be consulted “every step of the way.”
Julie Murray, chief officer of East Renfrewshire’s health and social care partnership, said there is a “commitment to a very significant co-design process” which includes staff and service users.
Councillor Tony Buchanan, the SNP group leader, who was the council leader when East Renfrewshire’s response to the National Care Service plan was submitted, said: “It may have helped if Councillor Edlin had actually read that report and what we put forward before making his comments.
“We obviously put forward a very strong report, one that was unanimous from the council’s point of view. There are some aspects that might sit nationally, for setting certain standards and ensuring that everyone is entitled to that care but the delivery should very much be focused on local government delivering the services as we currently do.”
In response, Councillor Edlin said: “I take exception to Councillor Buchanan’s comments about me. I would say that in his comments he seemed to approve somewhat of the paper, of the proposals by central government, he did say an area of oversight would benefit everybody.
“I beg to disagree, it would just be a waste of money, when things are done well why change them? Why centralise them?”
They were speaking as councillors noted an update paper on the National Care Service bill. The report stated: “In terms of budget, the social care budget transferred to the IJB each year is circa £60 million and this budget would be transferred to the National Care Service under the direction of Ministers.”
In October, there was cross-party support in East Renfrewshire for retaining “local accountability” and the council’s response said funding granted to councils should be increased as improvements could be made “more quickly and effectively” that way.
Health secretary Humza Yousaf has said the new service is “the most ambitious reform of public services since the creation of the NHS.”
He said it would drive up standards across the country, improving conditions for staff and service users.
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