Liz Smith MSP has called on the Scottish Government to introduce a National Recovery Group after highlighting the “very low” take up of free personal care for under 65s.
The Scottish Conservative politician recently told Kevin Stewart MSP, the Minister for Wellbeing and Social Care, that a Freedom of Information request from the West Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership revealed that only four under 65s had applied for and received free personal care from 2019 to the end of 2021.
Liz Smith asked the Minister at Holyrood how many people have received free personal care under Frank’s Law, since it came into effect in Scotland in 2019.
Commenting, Liz Smith MSP, who represents the Mid Scotland and Fife region, said: “There are concerns that the implementation of free personal care through Frank’s Law has been slow. Several of my constituents have contacted me as they are concerned about the overall absence of data on this provided by the Scottish Government.
“The very low take up of free personal care which was found through the Freedom of Information request by West Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership, underlines how serious this issue is. Despite the Minister saying data collection on the take up of Frank’s Law was temporarily suspended due to the Scottish Government focusing on Covid and will be published in May, many people will be keen know the overall statistics on this issue.
“This was why I asked the Minister if he would reconsider his position and support my colleague, Miles Briggs’s proposal to institute a National Recovery Group – in partnership with COSLA and others – to ensure that these services are adequately supported.
“I will make sure I continue to press the Scottish Government on this matter.”
Frank’s Law was introduced following a campaign led by Amanda Kopel, who asked for a change in care provision after her husband, the former Dundee United player Frank Kopel, was diagnosed with and later died from early onset dementia.
