Private care homes on course for placement ban

The care dispute in Scotland escalated last week with home
owners threatening to impose a ban on all new council-funded
placements from 30 July.

Negotiations between the Convention of Scottish Local
Authorities and Scottish Care, the organisation which represents
most of the private home owners, appeared on the verge of collapse
amid recriminations.

Meanwhile, the Scottish executive made available an additional
£17.5 million in a bid to settle the dispute.

Announcing the offer, Malcolm Chisholm, deputy minister for
community care, said that the extra cash was “available to
Scotland’s local authorities to help bring the two sides together –
the equivalent of an instant £10 per week for each person in
care.”

Within hours, the offer had been rejected. Joe Campbell, chief
executive of Scottish Care, said: “It is not just insulting – it is
inadequate.” Scottish Care has demanded an extra £50 per
person per week.

Chisholm stated the money would remain on the table, but added:
“with so many other competing priorities for health spending, it
will not be increased further.”

The executive insists the additional resources be earmarked for
the care of older people, a move resisted by councils.

A Cosla spokesperson said: “We do not want this money to be
ring-fenced. We are grown-ups and we should be treated as such. But
I can guarantee that this money will go where they want it to.”

Meanwhile, Lanarkshire Health Board has re-opened an empty
hospital to accommodate 25 to 30 older people.