A Moral Imperative: Carr Gomm Responds to National Care Service Delay

Three women sit under a sunny window smiling at the camera. NCS.
In a recent update, the Scottish Government announced a delay to the next stage of the National Care Service (NCS) Bill.

 

Carr Gomm’s Executive team received a letter from Maree Todd, the Social Care Minister, explaining the reasoning behind this decision.

The key points from the Minister’s letter are as follows:

  • The Scottish Government remains fully committed to establishing the National Care Service but wishes to take additional time to consider the feedback from the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, stakeholders, the public, and political parties.
  • As a result of this extended consultation process, the Minister has requested more time before proceeding with Stage 2 of the NCS Bill, which was originally scheduled for 26 November.
  • New dates for Stage 2 will be confirmed by the Minister for Parliamentary Business in coordination with the Scottish Parliament, and Carr Gomm will keep staff updated once these dates are finalised.

When the National Care Service was first proposed in 2022, it ignited a sense of hope for a more person-centred approach to social care in Scotland. At Carr Gomm, we believed that this service would create a supportive environment for the amazing people working in social care and ensure that the needs of individuals—rather than financial or political interests—would be at the heart of care services. Over the past two years, Carr Gomm has worked tirelessly to communicate these aspirations to decision-makers, advocating for the values that we hold dear.

Yesterday’s announcement is a bruise on that hope.

However, the DNA of Carr Gomm remains the same. We believe wholeheartedly that as a society we all have a moral imperative to improve Social Care now and into the future. We will continue to demonstrate that belief through our values and actions.

Together, we remain dedicated to shaping a future where social care is truly person-centred, and where the individuals and families we support, along with the staff who care for them, are prioritised.

Read more about the National Care Service here.