Arran Banner Letters – week 03, 2026

Social care ‘drop in’ meeting

Sir,

Well, we all knew that the North Ayrshire health and Social Care meeting would not be productive, we all suspect our views are not really taken into account when budgets are decided.

North Ayrshire Council are in breach of Statutory Scottish Government legislation on how health and social care should be delivered.

The survey was poorly formulated to say the least and we the public, some with experience of Health and Social Care but many like me, without, were given the responsibility to make impossible choices, all of which would cause suffering for those who need social care. The services cannot be seen in isolation. If you take one away it will effectively put the service user into an unsafe situation.

Was there any consideration given to the effect of cuts on unpaid carers, already 56% more likely to experience food and fuel poverty than a non-carer despite saving the state £15.9 bn every year. It’s likely that some will have to give up working to care for their loved one, possibly increasing the benefit bill.

Don’t let them tell you that there is not enough money to pay for Health and Social Care and that tough decisions have to be made. Research done by Scottish Care shows that for every £1 spent on social care £2.35 comes back to the economy in socio economic benefits, skilled jobs, stronger local economies, reduced pressure on the NHS and BETTER LIVES.

More cuts will move the financial problems to the NHS, less early intervention will mean that things reach crisis point sooner and therefore more pressure on hospitals, medical centres and even dentists.

The impact on social workers in terms of ethical stress due to being unable to fulfill their professional code of practice does not seem to have been considered either. The code of practice for employers of social workers states that they have a duty to ensure that these codes can be adhered to.

Why must the most vulnerable in our society pay for budget problems? North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership should be battering the door of their managers to ask for more funding. The managers should be battering the door of NAC to ask them to find other ways of balancing their budgets rather than imposing devastating cuts on the most vulnerable. If NAC can’t do that then they, in turn, must demand more funding from the Scottish Government.

Think of the support they would get for taking such an approach, from care users and their families, social care workers and their unions, third sector organisations (who do so much to fill the gaps already and struggle for funds themselves) and of course the wider public.

Of course this cutting of services will continue next year and no doubt in subsequent years, causing more and more suffering to people who are completely innocent. At some point we have to say enough is enough. We must oppose these cuts. It is worth remembering that unless you die suddenly you are likely to need health and social care at some point in your life.

Yours,

Ann Hume,

Brodick.