Senior SNP and Labour MSPs are consulting the public on how to bring about a revolution in the “broken” social care system.
Nationalist Angela Constance and Labour leader Richard Leonard are separately reaching out for views on a national care service, which could dismantle the largely privately-owned status quo.
Constance, a former SNP Education Secretary, is calling for the Scottish Government to produce a blueprint before next year’s election.
Care homes are in the front line of the battle against coronavirus, with nearly half of all deaths occurring in this setting.
The death toll has raised serious questions about a lack of PPE for staff and residents, and shone a spotlight on the practice of allowing patients to be discharged from hospital into homes without being tested for Covid-19.
However, critics believe the social care system was broken before the pandemic struck, and argue that low pay and profiteering are huge issues.
Around three quarters of care homes for older people are operated by the private sector, with just over one quarter run by local authorities, NHS boards and voluntary organisations.
A care watchdog last year received at least one complaint in 68% of all homes.
The figure for private homes was 76%, 47% for council-run homes and 51% in the not-for-profit sector.
Constance, the SNP MSP for Almond Valley, is now issuing a call for evidence on radical reform.
She said: “The coronavirus pandemic shines a light on serious concerns about some private care homes, particularly those operated by very large groups whose headquarters are offshore and pay very little tax on their profits.
“While it is important not to tar all providers with the same brush, there is a clear public revulsion about profiteering at the expense of care. There are concerns that public money is extracted from the care sector to support private interests and at the expense of the common good.
“Therefore, there is a need to interrogate the ethics and fairness of the financial models that underpin care services and the impact that this has on the wellbeing of care home residents. Public money should be used to fund the right care at the right time.”
She continued: “The integration of health and social care has brought a number of benefits, and the creation of a National Care Service is its logical next step.”
She added: “Clearly legislative change would be needed, so I am calling for the Scottish Government to undertake and conclude an in-depth report before the 2021 elections.
“I want to ensure that the voices of those with real life experience are heard and that we benefit from real life expertise about what matters and what works.”
Similarly, Scottish Labour has launched an online consultation as part of a campaign to develop a national care service.
Members of the public have been encouraged to share their experiences of the care system in a survey on the party’s website.
Supporters say it could improve standards by delivering care through a publicly-funded model similar to the NHS.
Scottish Labour is also speaking to trade unions and various experts as part of its campaign.
Leonard said: “People right across Scotland value social care but they know the current system is broken.
“It is all too clear that Scotland’s fragmented care system needs radical reform.”
He added: “For too long, people have been stuck in hospital because social care wasn’t available, care home residents have been let down, families haven’t been properly supported and staff have not received the pay and conditions they deserve.
“This pandemic has only made the need for reform more urgent and Scottish Labour’s plans for a national care service are needed more than ever.
“So many of us have personal stories of the care sector and I would urge you to share your experiences with us and help shape the future of care in Scotland.”
