Collective action and sustainable funding will be essential to overcome long-term health and social care challenges, and ensure a well-resourced and thriving workforce, COSLA's Health and Social Care Spokesperson Councillor Paul Kelly said today (Thursday 25th July).
This followed a report which was published by the Accounts Commission on Scotland’s Integration Joint Boards (IJBs), which plan and commission many vital community-based health and care services.
Councillor Kelly commented:
“Financial pressures are having a clear and longstanding impact on the care and support available for people across Scotland, as highlighted by today's report from the Accounts Commission. Following years of real-terms reductions in funding to local authorities, Integration Joint Boards face substantial challenges in planning and commissioning support within our communities.
“Against this backdrop of financial pressures, our health and social care services face demographic changes with an ageing population and an increase in both the level and complexity of need, as well as severe capacity challenges in the social care and social work workforce. We know how hard staff in health and social care work to deliver high quality care despite the challenges that are set out in the report.
“We need to take collective action and put forward solutions to overcome these long-standing challenges and to shape the future of our care system. Crucially, we must ensure sustainable funding which reflects the level of need for care and support within our communities and can help attract and retain a thriving health and social care workforce.”
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