Cash needed to help halt shortfall in elderly care across South Ayrshire

May 14 2008 Ayrshire Post

AN extra £4.4 million is needed to plug the hole in the cost of elderly care in South Ayrshire.

And the Scottish Government must stump up the cash as part of their promise to close the funding gap.

MSP John Scott explained that there has never been enough cash in council coffers to cover the cost of free personal care for the elderly since the policy was introduced seven years ago.

The MSP for Ayr said: “In the South Ayrshire area the government has under funded the budget for self-funding clients in care homes by some £4.4 milllion.

“In just the last financial year home based care services were under funded by ministers by more than £1 million.

“The announcement this week that the government will now close the Scotland wide £40 million funding gap that has been identified and accepted is of itself welcome news.

“But what we don’t know yet is how much extra funding each council will now be given.”

Mr Scott went on: “I want a categorical assurance that the under-funding over many years by the government of free personal care in South Ayrshire is at an end.

"And that a future budget will be allocated by ministers that covers the cost of providing this vital service and eliminates any need for local people to be placed on waiting lists for services to which they are entititled.”