Group demand council declare health and social care emergency

The Dumfries and Galloway Labour Group have submitted a notice of motion to this month's full council meeting calling for a "Health and Social Care Emergency" to be declared for the region.

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Councillor Carolyne Wilson, Labour Group Leader

Councillor Carolyne Wilson, Labour Group Leader, told the Standard: "Our motion calls on Scottish Government to provide more funding for rural areas for health and social care recognising the higher costs of service delivery and for additonal investment in prevention, early intervention, family support and community led services to take pressure of in patient services.

"The only way to mitigate against cutting services for our most vulnerable is for the Government to attach the same value to social care as it does to health care and fund it accordingly".

Labour Group depute leader, councillor Linda Dorward said it is time to stop "papering over the cracks" and highlighted that, of last year's overspend, NHS Dumfries and Galloway contributed £22.6 million, leaving the council to cover £1.8 million on delegated social work services.

The local authority's social care budget alone ended the year with a £6 million overspend, only partially offset by the IJB's now-depleted reserves.