Ministers are being told to “admit defeat” and accept plans to set up a National Care Service are “doomed” after local authority leaders pulled their support for the legislation for it.
Council chiefs in the local government body Cosla confirmed on Friday they would no longer back the Scottish Government on its flagship Bill.
With councils playing a key role in providing care services across Scotland, the decision is a blow for the government.
Ministers had put forward plans for a National Care Service in the wake of the Covid pandemic, with the move seen as being key to reform in the social care system.
But Cosla had complained earlier this week that changes proposed by ministers to the legislation needed to set up the National Care Service would have the “cumulative effect of eroding local decision-making and the role of local government within social services”.
The trade unions Unison and GMB Scotland had already urged the Scottish Government to withdraw its plans, saying the proposed new National Care Service fails to address issues with pay and conditions in the sector.
While he said councils had been committed to working with the government on the plans, he added that “unfortunately the revised legislation does not effectively represent that partnership”.
Mr Kelly added: “Local government is committed to continuing our engagement with key areas of reform which can deliver improved outcomes for people, unpaid carers and our workforce.
“We cannot, however, offer our support for the legislation brought forward at this stage.”
He continued: “It is important that the views of people accessing, working in and planning frontline support services are listened to, both with regards to the NCS legislation and also the improvements needed to overcome the sustained financial and workforce pressures being experienced across Scotland.”
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Scottish Conservative health spokesperson Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: “Now that council leaders have pulled their support, SNP ministers must finally accept that the game is up for their botched National Care Service plan.”
Dr Gulhane added: “Virtually every major stakeholder is opposed to this Bill, so the SNP must admit defeat, rather than continuing to throw good money after bad on this doomed and unaffordable project.”
He continued: “The Scottish Conservatives recognised from day one that creating a centralised, bureaucratic system to oversee care provision across Scotland was unwise, as well as eye-wateringly expensive.
“But, typically, the SNP ploughed ahead regardless – and now the chickens have come home to roost.
“They should now divert every penny allocated to this flawed scheme towards our cash-strapped councils, who are far better equipped to assess care needs in their area than nationalist ministers.”
Labour health spokesperson Dame Jackie Baillie said that the “significant intervention” from Cosla “underlines the flaws in this botched SNP plan”.
She added: “Scottish Labour will not sign a blank cheque for SNP incompetence that could expose the public purse to eye-watering costs – that is why we voted against this flawed Bill at stage one.
“It now seems that many of the key stakeholders believe that the legislation is so flawed it should not proceed.”
The Scottish Government has been contacted for comment.
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