National Care Service: Factsheet

What’s next for the NCS

The NCS Bill Stage 1 debate took place on Thursday 29 February 2024. The Parliament voted for the Bill to pass Stage 1.

Changes to the Bill at Stage 2

The Scottish Government will continue to work with stakeholders to develop proposals for the NCS. These stakeholders include people with experience of accessing and delivering social care support. We will also consider any changes that may be needed to the Bill at Stage 2.

We set up an Expert Legislative Advisory Group with stakeholders who had a strong interest in the NCS Bill which ran from April to June 2024. The purpose of the group was to discuss the Bill and its draft amendments before the draft amendments were shared with the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee in June 2024. The group added to, rather than replaced, our current stakeholder engagement structure

We are committed to continuing our work to reach consensus with stakeholders following their feedback on the Bill. This will keep those who receive and deliver social care, social work and community health support at the forefront of our work. This will ensure that the NCS creates greater transparency in the delivery of community health and social care, improves standards, strengthens the role of the workforce and provides better support for unpaid carers.