The BBC has reported that Glasgow’s Health and Social Care Partnership has had to cut its budget by nearly £22 million. This includes losing 197 full-time posts, and funding cuts spread out over its services. As a result of these cuts, fewer care home beds will be available and there will be a reduction in daycare services for older people. Despite these wide-ranging cuts, the HSCP still expects to run out of funding by September 2023, raising fears of an outright pause on vital care services.
The cuts to Glasgow’s Health and Social Care Services are the cumulation of successive cuts to council budgets by the Scottish Government, which has left them unable to provide the necessary funding for local services during the cost-of-living crisis. Without this extra funding, council services are forced to make cuts to create a balanced budget, as the amount of money they can use has shrunk over the last few years. This has had knock-on effects on carers, who frequently express that increasing workloads have increased the strain on their health and ability to provide high-quality care. Limited time available to interact with each client has created negative mental health impacts for both involved, as carers feel like they have failed their clients through no fault of their own.
Across the UK, BAME groups report poorer experiences of social care and are less likely to receive help even if they report a need for it. As the budgets for social care services are cut further, the lack of funds threatens to increase this disparity, shutting BAME citizens out of the social care system and limiting their access to vital health services. It is therefore necessary that the Scottish Government reduce the financial strain on councils, and allow them to continue delivering these services at the highest possible standard.