During a visit to Cramond Residence in Edinburgh, Scottish
Liberal Democrat Leader, MSP and , the party's candidate
for North East Fife, set out how the party's plans for a £500m
rescue package for care will enable people to be released from
hospital and relieve pressure on the NHS.
It comes as the party publishes new analysis showing that the
average number of people stuck in hospital on delayed discharge
at the monthly census point has increased by 30.5% since 2019,
increasing from 1,452 to 1,895 per night in the first three
months of 2024.
Liberal Democrat plans include:
- Introducing a higher Carer's Minimum Wage, increasing the
minimum wage for care workers by £2 an hour;
- Opposing the Scottish Government's billion-pound ministerial
takeover of social care that would strip away local powers, and
advocate for it to spend this money on staff, frontline services
and raising care standards for care users.
- Implementing a human rights-focused approach to social care
with integrated local services and high national standards;
- Establishing clear career pathways and better representation
for care workers, improving staff retention by valuing
experienced staff and ensuring fair pay and working conditions.
MSP said:
“It's great to visit Cramond Residence and to meet the staff who
do such an important job day-in and day-out.
"On the SNP's watch, Scotland's care services are in crisis. They
have broken their promise to eradicate delayed discharges. In
fact, things have got much worse because every night there are
now around 1,900 people stuck in hospital when they should be
looked after at home or in a care home. It's contributing to
record-breaking waits in A&E and dangerous ambulance delays.
"The Liberal Democrats would create a new minimum wage for care
workers, £2 higher than the national minimum wage, to tackle the
chronic staff shortages in social care. We will make social care
a profession of choice by investing in our care sector and giving
care staff the pay and conditions they deserve.
"We will invest to save, recognising that providing care reduces
demand on more expensive NHS services.
"The Liberal Democrats are leading the way in supporting our
hardworking care workers. Every vote for us is a vote to fix
social care to save our NHS."
ENDS
Notes to editors:
In 2015, the SNP Government promised to “eradicate delayed
discharges from the system” within a year.
The new Scottish Liberal Democrat analysis, showing the average
number of people stuck in hospital on delayed discharge at the
monthly census point, can be found here.
