Over 11th and 12th March, the BBC has been running a story across the Nine news programme, Good Morning Scotland, and online regarding the Carers Act and how it is being implemented in Scotland. The report makes reference to a Freedom of Information request that we made, alongside the Coalition of Carers in Scotland and the Coalition of Care Providers, on the subject of the funding allocated to local authorities for the Carers Act and how it was spent.
For many years the National Carer Organisations in Scotland have made it clear that there are irrefutable arguments for supporting carers – both in health terms and economically. Unpaid carers provide care to the value of an estimated £10 billion to the Scottish economy every year and with the increasing pressures on health and social care the role of carers has never been more important. We therefore believe it’s imperative that those who are responsible for leading our health and social care organisations promote the view that money spent on carer support is an investment.
The National Carer Organisations in Scotland believe that the new Carers legislation is a significant step forward but this must lead to more practical support for carers wherever they live, which is well thought out, and well resourced.
You can view the BBC news segment on The Nine here https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00039wh/the-nine-11032019 and the story online here https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-47524278