A struggling flagship
Web Issue 3135 April 30 2008
Free personal care for the elderly was the flagship policy of the fledgling devolved government in Edinburgh in 2002. Six years on, the ideals have to be squared with the economic reality of a £40m shortfall. That is according to no less an authority than Lord Sutherland, the architect of the original plans for free personal and nursing care for the elderly, who was asked by the SNP government to review how the pioneering policy was working. His answer is not unexpected - a report by Audit Scotland in February warned of a funding shortfall of up to £63m, which would become worse as the population ages.
Yesterday, however, Lord Sutherland had an answer to the funding shortfall: reinstating the attendance allowance which has not been paid to those in care homes since free personal care came into effect. This would inject £30m a year into the scheme, leaving only £10m a year, which he believes should be provided by the Scottish Government. There are two serious drawbacks to this.
Campaigners, such as Help the Aged in Scotland, believe there is a legal case to be made for transferring the £30m a year savings to the Scottish Government, but that fault line between London and Edinburgh will not be bridged easily. More urgently, ministers at Holyrood must turn their attention to implementing the policy more fairly and with greater clarity. As The Herald has reported over the past few years, there have been serious inconsistencies between different authorities in what is provided as personal care.
The commission's recommendation - that clients and carers should have a clear understanding of their entitlement and the minimum standards of service they can expect wherever they live in Scotland - should be the first priority.
In likening his review to reaching a false summit, Lord Sutherland reveals the task to be more daunting than anticipated. That does not mean we should turn back; the challenge now is to find the best route.
Reproduced with the permission of The Herald, Glasgow © 2008 Herald & Times Group
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