Call for public to shape care of the future
26 Jun 2014 02:49 PM
Consultation on principles of
care
Organisations and
members of the public across Scotland are being offered the opportunity to give
their views on the standards of care that people receive.
Scots are being
asked to respond to a consultation on Scotland’s National Care Standards,
which covers services such as nurseries and childminders, care homes for older
people, housing support services, hospice care and independent
hospitals.
The consultation,
which launches on Wednesday, sets out a range of human rights-based proposals
for developing new standards that improve the quality of care and protect
vulnerable people.
These standards
will be used by national inspection watchdogs, Care Inspectorate and Healthcare
Improvement Scotland, to measure the quality of services and ensure people are
being looked after in accordance with their rights.
The new set of
standards will replace the care standards published in 2002.
Health Secretary
Alex Neil said: “Almost everyone in Scotland is likely to come into
contact with care services at some point in their lives, whether for themselves
or for a relative, and so it’s absolutely vital that people have their
say on how they would expect this care to be delivered.
"We believe
that there are core elements of quality that should be common across public
services. High quality should be universal, no matter where health and care is
being delivered, who is delivering it, or who is receiving care. These
fundamental principles will ensure the people who use health and care services
are at the centre of how they are planned and delivered. I’d encourage
everyone to complete the consultation response and give us their
views.”
Minister for
Children and Young People Aileen Campbell said: “We have made great
inroads into achieving our vision of providing better care support for all ages
but we will not be complacent. Throughout the improvements we have made –
whether that is in healthcare, elderly care, expanding the support for looked
after children or getting it right for every child – we need to support
those providing that service.
“This
consultation is the chance for us to hear from those on the front line and
those receiving services to allow us to do all we can to support families in
their times of need.”
Background
In anticipation of
the integration of health and social care services from next year, the
consultation seeks views on broadening the review beyond the current care
standards and developing quality standards for health and care
services.
The consultation
will run from 25 June to 17 September 2014. It can accessed via the Scottish
Government website http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2014/06/7325