In December 2025, Jackie Baillie, Labour Party Health spokesperson said:
That the Parliament believes that the Scottish Government’s failure to prioritise social care has fuelled a crisis, harming some of Scotland’s most vulnerable people, and calls on the Scottish Ministers to work to close the funding gap facing health and social care partnerships and value Scotland’s care workforce.
In response, Health Secretary Neil Gray said:
As an amendment to motion S6M-19977 in the name of Jackie Baillie (Crisis in Social Care), leave out from “Scottish Government’s” to end and insert “UK Government must reverse its hostile and damaging migration policies, which have led to a 77% drop in the number of Health and Social Care visas granted, which in turn is having a devastating impact on the social care sector across Scotland; welcomes the valuable contribution that international workers make to Scotland’s care sector, communities and economy, and notes that the Scottish social care sector has called for the reversal of these harmful policies; reiterates that Scotland is a welcoming nation and that the Scottish Government must continue to ensure that those who have chosen to make Scotland their home can continue to do so; calls for a reversal of the increase in employer national insurance contributions, which has placed an additional £84 million pressure on the sector; recognises that the 2025-26 Budget includes over £15 billion for the local government settlement, including almost £2.2 billion for social care integration, but agrees that the Scottish Government must continue to work closely with partners across the sector, including funding local government and the third sector, to continue making improvements for the social care workforce, and all of those who they support.” https://www.scottishparliament.tv/meeting/scottish-labour-party-debate-crisis-in-social-care-december-3-2025
Is there hard evidence for Baillie’s claim?
From Care home statistics for Scotland Support and services funded by local authorities in Scotland 2024/2025 published yesterday:
During 2024/25 there were an estimated 49,605 people who resided in a care home and were fully or partially funded by a local authority. This was similar to 2023/24 (49,545).
Wouldn’t there be evidence of a collapse in the figures for 2024/2025 if a crisis was emerging?
Talking-up Scotland 
Brexit £Billions lost. Healthcare workers lost. Westminster Gov policy
Scottish Gov social care. Elderly people can stay in their own home. Residential care £1000+. Hospital care £1000 a day. Social care saves £Billions. Cares for the elderly.
The Tories cut NHS funding. Until Covid. Wasted £Billions in mismanagement. Fraud. Mone. Covid funded £Billions over two years. Scotland did not get fair share.
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