The delay in the National Care Service Bill announced by the Minister for Social Care has not been a surprise. However, the National Carer Organisations are dismayed that delivering improved services and support for unpaid carers, disabled and older people has stalled yet again.

The National Carer Organisations urge all parties in the Scottish Parliament to work together to find a solution to prioritise the needs of service users and unpaid carers. This includes:

• delivering desperately needed investment in social care (including in breaks from caring) in the upcoming budget and setting out how the commitment to remove care charging will be taken forward urgently
• reaching a shared commitment to legislate to deliver priority changes that are set out in the Bill, including a right to a break from caring and Anne’s Law.
• agreeing a shared strategy for improving the provision of social care and breaks from caring, by supporting the development of a wider market of providers across all sectors. In too many areas of Scotland, particularly in rural and island communities, the choice of services is limited or services are simply not available.
• delivering parity of esteem with the public sector on Integrated Joint Boards by putting people who use services and unpaid carers at the heart of decision making: legislating for votes for carer representatives on these Boards.

The National Carer Organisations are clear that to deliver the vision and principles set out in the Feeley Review, which were agreed by all, unpaid carers and servicer users must be at the heart of developments, not left on the sidelines.