NHS LONG STAY CARE

That this House welcomes the report published on 9th February by Scottish Action on Dementia, Alzheimer's Scotland, the Dementia Services Development Centre, and Age Concern Scotland which gives rise to grave concerns about the quality and quantity of long-stay care for frail elderly people with dementia; believes that the priorities and recommendations set out in the Sharpen report are not being met; condemns the drastic reduction in NHS funded long-stay care; believes that the consequences will be devastating for people with dementia and their carers; calls on the Government to give priority to the generation which gave us the NHS instead of ignoring the contributions they made during their working lives to building and maintaining the NHS and asking them to pay for private nursing home care when they need assistance; and urges the Secretary of State for Scotland to freeze any further reduction in NHS funded long-stay care for the elderly, abandon health board targets, and to hold a full public consultation on the future provision of such care and implement the result. (Relevant registered interest declared).