The Scottish Government's Response to the Health and Sport Committee's Report on the Carers (Scotland) Bill

The Government has today issued its response to the report from the Health and Sport Committee on the Carers (Scotland) Bill
A summary of the main points are included below and for a full copy of the response follow this link.

Main Points
The Minister has committed to introduce the following amendments at Stage 2 of the Bill

• Regulations to set timescales for the preparation of the Adult Carer Support Plan / Young Carers Statement where the cared-for person is terminally ill.
  
• Regulations to clarify that where sources of information and advice for carers are already available within the local authority area ?there is no requirement to create an additional information and advice service. However, in such instances, the local authority will be required to ensure that information and advice services are maintained.
  
• Regulations so that the adult carer ?support plan and young carer statement must contain information about emergency planning and that the information and advice service must provide information about emergency planning and future planning.

In relation to other areas of the Bill, the Minister responded as follows

Eligibility Criteria
The Government has not been persuaded to amend the Bill from local eligibility criteria to national. They have said they will look at introducing national matters in guidance, such as requiring local authorities to take a preventative approach and considering including the carer outcomes from the NCOs National Eligibility Framework in regulations or guidance.
The Minister commented:
‘I believe the balance of local eligibility criteria combined with national matters to be appropriate.
local eligibility criteria will enable each local authority to determine whether carers' identified needs call for the provision of support taking into account the total resource available to meet local demand for support.’

Hospital Admission and Discharge
The Government has not been persuaded to amend the Bill to include a duty on health boards to involve and inform carers in relation to admission and discharge procedures.
They have said that they will highlight the importance of involving carers in the process of hospital admission and discharge in guidance

In relation to those areas of the Bill which we believe still need strengthening, including eligibility criteria, hospital admission and discharge, we will continue to work with the Government, the Carers Bill Team and MSPs across all parties to seek further amendments to the Bill