Free Scots' care stays despite 'unknown' costs

摘要

Scotland's free personal and nursing care (FPNC) future costs are unknown, according to an Audit Scotland report. The report also stated FPNC needs to be better planned, managed and funded for it to continue to benefit older people in future. The total costs of FPNC for the first four years were £1.8bn. Audit Scotland estimates councils would have spent around £1.2bn of this, even if the policy had not been introduced. 'Councils and the Scottish Government should work together as a matter of urgency to clarify the current ambiguities and ensure FPNC is consistently applied across Scotland,' accounts commission chairman, Professor John Bailie, said.