SAT - Allover - Chris Morphet
Tuesday 3 December 2024
 0.9°C   NW Light Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts
GR Direct - Winter Sale 2024

Health / ‘Care in Shetland is not broken’ – more worry at national service proposal

WORRIES have been raised that Shetland could potentially experience a “levelling down” in the quality of care provided locally if a new national service is introduced.

NHS Shetland vice-chairman Malcolm Bell said the quality of social care in the isles at the moment is already very high – and he does not want standards to drop.

It comes amid a drive from the Scottish Government to introduce a national care service.

A consultation is open on the plans and people in Shetland have previously been encouraged to share their views.

The plans have drawn some significant concern in Shetland, where care services are largely delivered through the council.

Critics say the proposals are in effect an attempt to strip local authorities of powers, and could, in the case of Shetland, lead to a deterioration of the service.

Speaking at a meeting of the Shetland health board on Tuesday, Bell said he had a real concern over what impact a national organisation could have on services.

“In Shetland we enjoy a very high standard of care and that is down to the way the council and health board work together through the IJB and also to the extra investment the council and charitable trust are able to make through drawing on our reserves,” he added after the meeting.

Malcolm Bell. Photo: Chris Cope/Shetland News

“Our staff, in both health and social care, can be proud of the service they deliver.

“Care in Shetland is not broken but in some other parts of Scotland it probably does not meet the standards we consistently deliver here.

“This is not a result of a failure of governance but of a lack of investment.”

Bell, who is also the convener of Shetland Islands Council, also warned against a “HIAL” form of governance.

Become a member of Shetland News

 

HIAL – Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd – is Scottish Government owned agency which operates airports across the region.

It has come under fire recently for plans to centralise air traffic control in Inverness.

“There is a lot in the Feeley report [into adult social care in Scotland] which is positive, but we really do not want to see a form of ‘HIAL’ governance model to deliver health and care services in Shetland,” Bell said.

“That would be bad for local accountability and most importantly bad for those who depend on our services.”

The Scottish Government’s consultation documents say that the impact on island communities will be explored, and it will “carry out a suite of impact assessments before finalising the proposals”.

The review into adult social care identified a “lack of national accountability and leadership for social care support”.

“While there is good practice in many places, there is no mechanism for making sure this spreads across the country,” the consultation papers said.

Minister for mental wellbeing and social care Kevin Stewart said: “A National Care Service will provide us with consistency, equity and fairness, and the accountability needed to deliver high quality services across Scotland.”

The SNP’s manifesto for the May election said a national service would not mean all care homes will be owned or run by the Scottish Government.

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.

 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please consider paying for membership and get the following features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.