Free Personal and Nursing Care: Methodology and background information, 2022-23

This document provides more detailed information on the background to the Free Personal and Nursing Care publication and how it was produced than could be contained in the publication itself. It includes:

• a description of the source of data used in the publication (the Quarterly Monitoring Return) in Data Sources
• a description of the quality control process from receipt of returns to publication in Data Quality
• more information on the limitations of the data in Limitations of Data and Further Background. This includes an explanation of how expenditure figures were obtained, including the differences between figures for Care Homes and Care at Home

There are also 3 appendices:

• Appendix 1: FPNC payment amounts. Details the weekly FPNC payment amounts from 2002-03 until present
• Appendix 2: Collected and Calculated Variables. Lists the 8 variables collected in the Quarterly Monitoring Return, together with how they were used to calculate the 11 variables contained in the publication tables. This also shows how the table numbers and variable names in the return and publication tables relate to each other
• Appendix 3: Changes to Local Authority names. Details the changes made to Local Authority names in the accompanying tables between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 publications

How to access publication and data

The 2022-23 publication that this ‘Methodology and Background Information’ document accompanies can be read online.

Two spreadsheets showing rounded background data used in the publication can be accessed via the ‘Supporting Documents’ link from the same page. These present figures both at Scotland total and Local Authority level. A separate spreadsheet is published for adults aged 18-64 and adults aged 65+.

Past editions of this publication and data tables, dating back to 2010-11, can also be accessed via the Free Personal and Nursing Care collection.

For other data and publications relating to social care produced by the Scottish Government, please see the Social Care Analysis page on our website.