National Care Service bill – still not fit for purpose

Kate Ramsden

#STUC24 In the first debate of Congress, delegates backed a call for the National Care Service bill to be scrapped and for a public, not for profit service to be designed in conjunction with all interested parties.

The composite motion was moved by UNISON’s Audrey McCabe, herself a care worker. She made a powerful call for sectoral bargaining and decent pay and status for social care workers recognising the essential work they do.

Kate Ramsden supported, on behalf of Aberdeen Trades Union Council, pointing out that the Scottish Government has approved its so called National Care Service bill at Stage 1, because the Minister says she will no longer implement it as it stands. However she has not shown what the bill will actually look like.

“So the reality is that the bill remains as it always did, with all the aspects we campaigned against still there,” warned Kate.

“The Minister has promised that the Bill will look nothing like the one approved by the government, but demands by the Health, social care and sports committee that she publish her amendments by end March have been… well, ignored.”

Instead she has set up a hastily convened Expert Legal Advisory Group to consider amendments. “It has 61 members, said Kate. “If a camel is a horse designed by a committee we can expect to get something like a Komodo dragon,” said Kate to some laughter.