Health and Social Care Emergency

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Motion by Councillors J Duff and A Forbes
Health and Social Care Emergency 
Council notes the findings in the Scottish Fiscal Commission’s 2025 Fiscal Sustainability Report and subsequent national documents including the
Medium-Term Financial Strategy and Social Work Scotland’s sector response and the recent report to Council regarding the challenges facing the
Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care partnership, 
Council recognises that Perth and Kinross faces challenges in delivering sustainable health and social care due to its rural geography and
demographic changes involving its increasingly elderly population. 
Council believes that urgent, coordinated action is required to safeguard the wellbeing of our communities and ensure equitable access to social care. 
Council therefore resolves to: 
1 Declare a ‘Health and Social Care Emergency’ in Perth and Kinross.
2 Call on the Scottish Government to urgently ensure that sustainable funding is made available to local authorities and Health and Social Care
Partnerships to deliver integrated social care, deliver improved recruitment and retention of key workers, and support investment in early
intervention, family support and community-led services to reduce demand on crisis care.
3 Call on the Scottish Government to urgently reassess the rural health and social care premium in national funding allocations, recognising the
higher costs and logistical challenges of service delivery and movements in aging populations in areas like Perth and Kinross, recognising that
action is needed to tackle inequalities across rural and urban Scotland.
4 Support further development of local training pathways and key worker housing initiatives; partnering with colleges and NHS Tayside to create
care apprenticeships and training for local residents to address recruitment and retention challenges in the health and social care workforce. 
Council requests the Leader of the Council to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to convey the critical nature of this motion and
request a meeting between the Cabinet Secretary and the Leader of the Council to set out how it proposes to address the issues identified in the
2025 Fiscal Sustainability Report and ensure a sustainable future for our health and social care sector.