Most service users feel they are treated with respect, finds Scottish survey

The overwhelming majority of people receiving adult social care in Scotland feel they are treated with respect, a national survey has found.

The Health and Care Experience Survey 2013/14 asked 112,970 people registered with GPs in Scotland for their views on health and social care services. Of those surveyed, 21% said they needed help with everyday living.

The survey found that 93% of social care service users felt they were treated with respect while 89% said they were treated with compassion and understanding.

But one in five service users and carers felt that health and social care services were not well coordinated.

Overall, 84% of service users felt they received a good or excellent service.

The same percentage also felt that they had a say in how their care or support was provided, but only 49% of carers felt they had a say in the care of those they help and 21% felt they did not have a say.

One in three carers told the survey that their caring activities were making their own health worse.

The report noted that there was considerable variation in the responses between different community health partnership areas.

It said further analysis is needed to establish if the variation reflects differences in the quality of care or in factors such as the age and level of deprivation in each area.