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Record delayed discharge condemned by unions

Delayed discharge in Scotland has reached a record high as Scotland’s largest trade union body says the blame lies “squarely at the door” of the Scottish Government’s in backtracking on sectoral bargaining. 

Scotland’s biggest social care unions UNISON, UNITE & GMB alongside the STUC have criticised the Scottish Government for their repeated delays to the rollout of sectoral bargaining within social care which they claim has led to record delays in patients discharged from hospitals.  

In a letter seen by The Herald, in response to the unions, Maree Todd MSP, Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport confirmed that the Scottish Government had no intention of establishing a bargaining table for 2025/26. Sectoral bargaining, the process by which unions collectively negotiate on workers’ terms and conditions within a sector wide industry, “are not expected to be in place for the 2025/26 financial year” according to the Scottish Government, prompting condemnation from the unions.

The news comes as Public Health Scotland data shows in August 2024 there were 2,009 people delayed, the highest number of people delayed since the guidelines were amended in July 2016 and an 11% increase on the number of delayed days in August 2023. Coupled with record vacancies in social care in addition to a quarter of social care staff leaving within their first three months, the STUC say sectoral bargaining is the “linchpin” of reform for the sector,

Speaking exclusively to the Herald, STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said:

“With delayed discharges at a record high with an eye-watering 11% increase on last years levels alone, the Scottish Government are clearly failing to get to grips with the crisis within our health and social care services. The blame lies squarely at their door.

“With low pay, insecure conditions with no clear career pathway within social care, it’s little wonder our care homes are chronically understaff and deplorably under resourced. The Scottish Government has dithered and delayed for far too long on the establishment of sectoral bargaining within social care which we believe is the fundamental linchpin of any reform to social care. If our movement can collectively raise the terms, pay and conditions for social care staff through sectoral bargaining, retaining our brightest and best thereby reducing the retention crisis within the sector, delayed discharges will inevitably fall.

“The Scottish Government cannot ignore this chaos any longer. Not while patients, service users and social care staff continue to suffer from an all too avoidable crisis in social care.

END

Notes to editors:

Story appeared exclusively within the Herald: https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24678124.scottish-government-dither-causing-delayed-discharge-says-stuc/?ref=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter 

Full statement from social care unions UNISON, UNITE and GMB:

Joint Statement: Delayed discharge failure of Scottish Government

In response to a letter from social care unions in Scotland, UNISON, UNITE & GMB and cosigned by the STUC on 27 August 2024 calling for the establishment of a bargaining table for the social care workforce for 2025/26, Maree Todd MSP, Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport, responding on 26 September 2024, stated the government has no intention of establishing a bargaining table for 2025/26.

“sectoral bargaining arrangements are not expected to be in place for the 2025/26 financial year.”

“As you will be aware, as part of the 2024/25 Programme for Government announced on 4 September 2024, the Scottish Government has committed to prioritise funding to increase the pay of workers in adult and children’s social care who are delivering direct care in commissioned services so that they are paid at least the Real Living Wage from April 2025.”

This is a devastating blow to hundreds of thousands of care workers in Scotland, most of whom are women, and the families that rely on those services. Staffing shortages, low pay and poor terms and conditions are crippling the sector. Our members have been waiting too long for the Scottish Government to make good on its promises to workers for improvements in pay and terms and conditions. They need a substantial increase in pay as being the only hope in addressing and stemming the care crisis in communities all over Scotland.

The crisis in care is affecting the most vulnerable people in every community across Scotland. Recent data shows that, in August 2024, there were 62,003 days spent in hospital by people whose discharge was delayed. This is a 11% increase on the number of delayed days in August 2023 (55,709).

The bargaining table must be established, and integral meeting held as a matter of urgency. There should be no obstacle left to progress on improving pay for care workers and meeting the Unions demands for at least £15.00 per hour whilst simultaneously reducing the Scottish Government’s chronic record over delayed discharge.

Further, the news of the real living wage uplift brings with it deep disappointment for care workers in Scotland who were promised in February 2021 that priority would be given to the establishment of sectoral bargaining to improve pay and create a pay structure in the sector. Three years later we are told care workers will need to wait to April 2026 for that promise to be met. Workers cannot wait that long.

Care unions are raising this as there is an unreasonable block being placed by social care employer representative’s groups regarding worker right to access unions.

We strongly condemn the deliberate delay from the Scottish Government in prioritising improvements to social care workers pay and terms and conditions.

The crisis in care is affecting the most vulnerable people in every community across Scotland. In August 2024 there were 62,003 days spent in hospital by people whose discharge was delayed. This is a 11% increase on the number of delayed days in August 2023 (55,709).

Almost one in three staff employed by the voluntary sector left their role in 2023, according to SSSC data.

The long-term staffing crisis in social care is set to plunge to new depths. In the absence of Fair Pay to attract UK workers, the sector relies on the essential contribution of international workers. Oppressive changes to UK visa rules have sparked an 83% slump in new visa applications

Scottish Government research published in May 2024 “Assessing the impact of an increase in Pay on Adult Social Care Labour Supply in Scotland” demonstrated that increasing the Adult Social Care minimum wage would have a positive effect, with 19.3 % increase leading to an increased labour supply of between 8 – 11%. A 25% increase could address the staffing crisis. If we are to wait till April 2026 real damage will be caused, particularly to those vulnerable people and the families who love them. We need Fair Pay Now, more than ever for our dedicated and committed social care workers.

UNISON UNITE & the GMB, with the full support of the Scottish trade union movement through the STUC call on an emergency measure to be implemented, increasing minimum rates of pay for social care workers in Scotland to a minimum of £15.00 per hour now.