MP Angus MacDonald and MSP Kate Forbes to host Highland care crisis cross-party conference as the Liberal Democrat and Deputy First Minister join forces to find solutions to the sector’s major problems
MP Angus MacDonald and MSP Kate Forbes are to co-host a conference on adult social care in the Highlands on Friday in Fort William in a bid to find solutions amid fears the sector is spiralling into crisis.
The MP for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire and the MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch who is also the Deputy First Minister will stage the Highland Care Conference bringing together policymakers, practitioners, and sector leaders.
The event marks a rare cross-party effort between election rivals the Liberal Democrats and SNP to find solutions to workforce shortages, delayed discharges, and the loss of local care capacity that are affecting the region.
Both he and Ms Forbes previously supported the community campaign to save Moss Park Care Home in Fort William - one of several facilities under threat due to funding and staffing pressures.
Speakers at the conference include Donald Macaskill (Scottish Care), Professor Andrew Elder (Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh), Dr Pauline Wilson (NHS Shetland), Arlene Johnstone and David Park (NHS Highland), and Katharine Ross (NHS National Services Scotland).
Topics under discussion will include:
• Disparity between rural and urban care bed capacity
• The demographic time-bomb and its impact on care provision
• Building a sustainable workforce for rural and island communities
• Tackling delayed discharges and supporting NHS capacity
• Resourcing the future: innovation, funding and staffing.
“This is not a party-political issue,” said Mr MacDonald. “It’s about ensuring that older people in the Highlands can access care close to home - and that the dedicated staff who provide that care are properly supported.”
“This conference is about moving from highlighting the problems to finding solutions. We need cross-party commitment to deliver a sustainable, fair care system - I want to see definitive action from the Scottish Government to show that they’re prioritising rural and island communities.”
Ms Forbes said: “Social care in the West Highlands is facing a number of challenges, including challenges to recruit and to sustain smaller care homes. My hope is that this conference moves the conversation on to solutions.
“There are opportunities unique to the west coast, such as thriving industries, increased house building and significant investment - I want to see how we can ensure those opportunities extend to making our care sector more resilient.”
In April this year, Mr MacDonald published an in-depth report on care in the Highlands, which highlighted critical staff shortages, the closure of nearly 20 per cent of care homes in the last decade, and the impact of delayed discharges on NHS Highland.
The event runs from 10am to 4pm at the Highland Cinema, Fort William, on Friday and will be attended by local care providers, NHS representatives and community organisations.