Health and care legally joined with rights vow
The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Bill) passed through the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday (25 February) as MSPs voted to include reference to rights based approaches.
The Bill, which aims to integrate health and social care services across Scotland so that people who use support and services experience them as a seamless service, reached its final stage of Parliamentary scrutiny on Tuesday.
The Bill was further amended by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Alex Neil MSP, at Stage 3 to include reference to "respect for the rights of service users" in its planning and delivery principles. This further embeds a rights-based approach on the face of the Bill - something that Age Scotland and a range of third sector organisations have called for throughout the Parliamentary process.
However, MSPs did not back plans to embed the role of the third sector as a key strategic partner clearly on the face of the legislation. Conservative MSP Nanette Milne proposed a change to the Bill that would see third sector organisations' views taken into account in the planning process.
Whilst MSPs did not agree with these plans, Mr Neil gave further assurances that under forthcoming regulations people who use support and services, carers and representatives of the third sector will be included in strategic planning groups.
MSPs also voted against amendments to:
Embed ‘co-production', the principle that patients and service users must be involved in designing services to meet their needs, throughout the legislation
Ensure consideration is given to support through access to independent advocacy
Ensure effective access to complaints processes
Following the debate, members voted in favour of passing the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Bill. The Bill requires Royal Assent and will be followed by statutory guidance and regulations in the coming months. It is expected that integration boards will be fully operational from April 2015.
Age Scotland spokesperson Doug Anthoney said: "We've long campaigned for joining up of health and social care services, so the passage of this legislation is a very welcome development. We applaud Mr Neil in particular for ensuring that human rights principles are embedded in the Bill.
"Of course our preference would have been for the role and contribution of third sector to be enshrined within it, and for the passing of amendments to further empower of patient's and service users. However at implementation stage we will identify and take opportunities to ensure the voices of older patients and service users, and the third sector organisations that work with and for them, are heard."
