This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Free personal care continuing to deliver
28/02/2007
Free Personal and nursing care is delivering for 50,000 vulnerable older people throughout Scotland, Deputy Health Minister Lewis Macdonald said today.
His comments came as an independent evaluation of the policy was published. The report finds that the vast majority of recipients received their payments or personal care services without undue delay or complication. It also makes a number of recommendations to ensure that implementation of the policy is further improved.
The report backs up other research last year by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Scottish Parliament Health Committee which also found that the policy was delivering effectively.
Mr Macdonald said:
"I welcome the fact that this research, once again, underlines that free personal care has made a real difference for many older people throughout Scotland.
"The challenge now is to ensure the policy continues to deliver for future generations, and that older people throughout Scotland can be confident of consistently high standards in assessment, decision-making and delivery of services.
"We will work closely with COSLA and other bodies to take forward the recommendations in this report."
On variations in local services:
"Local authorities have always delivered community care services - and, indeed, many other services for which they are responsible - in accordance with their own local priorities. That is the right approach because local councils are best placed to make these local judgements
On waiting for care packages:
"The report confirms that services are being provided very quickly after assessment in the vast majority of cases. Where there are examples people waiting for a care package, the research has reported that local authorities are either providing interim arrangements, or ensuring that care is provided from some other source.
On food preparation:
"The report recommends that we should clarify our guidance on issues such as food preparation. We will work with CoSLA and other stakeholders on this.
On funding:
"As with any public policy, the report also highlights the need to continue full funding of free personal care. We will continue to address any funding issues in partnership with COSLA in the Spending Review later this year, and in the years to come."
Findings of the report include:
- 'Free personal care (FPC) has achieved its primary aim to remove discrimination against older people who have chronic or degenerative illnesses and need personal care by bringing their care into line with the principle of free medical and nursing care in the NHS
- Public awareness and understanding of FPC are low, but there is strong public support for the principle of FPC
- The process by which an individual moves from first contact with the local authority (referral) through to delivery of services (or payment) works well in the vast majority of cases. However there is large variation across Scotland in key aspects of the operation of FPC
- The vast majority of people have received FPC services / payments without undue delay or complication. However, the evaluation found people waiting for assessments and FPC services / payments following assessment in a number of local authorities. Waiting is mainly due to staff vacancies, a shortage of care home places, user choice, or issues related to service capacity. Only four councils attributed waiting to insufficient funding.
- There have been different interpretations by councils of what is meant by 'assisting with the preparation of food' leading to different policies on charging for food preparation.'
The Joseph Rowntree Report was published on 22 February 2006.
The Executive officially responded to the Health Committee report on 28 August 2006.
In 2002, COSLA made a funding bid to cover the additional costs arising from the free personal and nursing care legislation. The Executive met this in full. In 2004, COSLA said that the policy was fully funded and it would not be bidding for additional funds. In 2005, the Executive provided local authorities with investment specifically to cover the extra costs of providing free personal care for everyone over 65, which was more than the Care Development Group calculated would be required.