I was delighted to support the passage of the Care Reform Bill through Parliament and to have it passed during this year’s Carer’s Week was suitably fitting. This year’s theme focused on ‘Caring about Equality’, highlighting the challenges faced by unpaid carers. They play a vital role in society and deal with the challenges most of us would struggle with, including a greater risk of poverty, social isolation, poor mental and physical health. The Care Reform Bill was passed unanimously and will bring about changes to the existing care system. This includes giving unpaid carers a Right to a Break from caring. This will be easier said than done, but the intent is there to ensure they receive critical short breaks and respite from caring to achieve balance in their lives and be able to look after their own health and wellbeing.
One of the biggest changes is to allow family and friends to be named as ‘essential care supporters’ and to require care homes to facilitate visits from them in all but the most extreme circumstances. Nicknamed ‘Anne’s Law’ this grew from a petition to Parliament from a woman who was unable to visit her mother in her care home during the pandemic, ultimately missing her death.
Those of you who pay attention will recall this Bill should have included plans for a National Care Service. Unfortunately, like so much else under this government, a good idea fell to pieces once it came into contact with the SNP. They really are the opposite of a learning organisation and continue to repeat the same mistakes, ignoring the views of those much more experienced in the matter and discounting the wise advice of those who wished to see the National Care Service become a reality. This arrogance and misplaced confidence in their own opinion has set the creation of a National Care Service back years. I look forward to a Scottish Labour led government next year that will begin to fix this, and all the other messes left by this SNP Government that is tired and past its expiry date.