Cabinet_Secretary_for_Health_and_Social_Care_Humza_Yousaf
Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care

A substantial new investment of over £300 million in hospital and community care in Scotland has been unveiled to help tackle what is anticipated to be the toughest winter the NHS and social care system has ever faced.

The new multi-year funding will support a range of measures to maximise capacity in hospitals and primary care, reduce delayed discharges, improve pay for social care staff, and ensure those in the community who need support receive effective and responsive care.

The NHS and Care Winter Package of additional funding includes £40 million for ‘step-down’ care to enable hospital patients to temporarily enter care homes, or receive additional care at home support, with no financial liability to the individual or their family towards the cost of the care home.

Over £60 million will be spent on maximising the capacity of care at home services, helping to increase social worker assessment capacity,  fulfil unmet need, and deal with the current surge in demand and complexity of individual needs, while also helping to ease pressures on unpaid carers.

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Up to £48 million will be made available this financial year to increase the hourly rate of social care staff to a minimum of £10.02 per hour to match new NHS band 2 staff.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “As the winter period approaches, it is vital that we do all we can to maximise the capacity of the NHS and social care system.

“That’s why I’m setting out our £300 million NHS and Care Winter Package today. We cannot look at the NHS in isolation we must take a whole systems approach and these measures will help alleviate pressure across the NHS and social care.

“This significant new investment will help get people the care they need as quickly as possible this winter. Bolstering the caring workforce by increasing their numbers, providing them with additional support, and increasing the wages of social care staff.

“We’ve previously provided funding to ensure that adult social care staff are paid at least the real living wage. Today we’re going further and our new investment will ensure that adult social care staff who are currently paid the real living wage will get a pay rise of over 5%

“Measures I have announced today will help patients whose discharge has been delayed waiting for care and help get them out of hospital and on to the next stage in their care.

“This helps the individual by getting them the right care, and helps the wider system by ensuring the hospital capacity is being used by those who need that specialist level of clinical care.

“This £300 million of new funding will also fund increases in social care capacity in the community and in primary care – helping to ease the pressure on unpaid carers.

“Our NHS, social care staff and social work staff have been remarkable throughout the pandemic and today’s additional investment will help support them to deliver care to people across Scotland this winter.”

Earlier this year, the Scottish Government offered a substantial pay rise of at least four per cent of NHS Scotland Agenda for Change staff, which includes health care support workers.

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https://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Cabinet_Secretary_for_Health_and_Social_Care_Humza_Yousaf_202111.jpghttps://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Cabinet_Secretary_for_Health_and_Social_Care_Humza_Yousaf_202111-150x150.jpgLiane McIvorInvestments & FundingNewsroomNHSSector Newshealth,hospitals,Humza Yousaf,investment,primary care,Scotland,social careA substantial new investment of over £300 million in hospital and community care in Scotland has been unveiled to help tackle what is anticipated to be the toughest winter the NHS and social care system has ever faced. The new multi-year funding will support a range of measures to maximise...News, views & products for mobility, access and independent living professionals