The majority of councils, via Cosla, have told the SNP government that they do not wish to proceed with the National Care Service , a flawed concept that will centralise power and decision-making but lay blame locally when it goes wrong. Local authorities and care providers can best provide the care that is required in their area. They know the demographics, the care needs and the staff.
This concept of a National Care Service is all about pulling control into government hands, adding a level of bureaucracy that is not required. As with everything the SNP government touches, estimated costs have already almost doubled, with them having been given as between £644 million and £1.26 billion over five years.
Those figures are now looking more like £2bn and it will only get more and more expensive. At what cost will Neil Gray , the SNP Health Secretary, try to push this through? What will it take for him to listen to those who know what is required? Jane Lax, Aberlour, Speyside Outside remit So Nicola Sturgeon , clearly so proud of herself that she's not only put in one of her rare appearances at Holyrood but actually spoken, posts her speech on Facebook. But was she talking about ever-lengthening NHS waiting times, the educational attainment gap she promised yet failed to close, her party's failure to dual the A9 as promised or its inability to meet its own climate change targets – or even the nationalists risible ferry procurement processes? No, none of these key devolved a.
