Moray council are working to address a situation that has seen a serious shortfall in the provision of personal care in the region.
The situation has been highlighted by local MSP Richard Lochhead, who says that the increase in volume of correspondence he is receiving from constituents in relation to care services is a major concern.
The MSP has now sought a meeting with the local authority’s Chief Executive, Roddy Burns, and head of community care, Jane Mackie, to discuss the situation further.
Mr Lochhead received a letter from the Chief Executive which confirmed a shortage of carers available to meet demand in Moray. Mr Burns said in his letter that the shortfall “varies between 500-1000 hours per week”, adding that the council were working to address the shortfall.
However, the MSP has also expressed his concern that care service users in Moray were well below the national average in terms of their satisfaction over the care they receive.
In a letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Alex Neil MSP, it was highlighted that 75% of people in Moray who received care were positive about the service they received compared to 84% throughout Scotland.
Mr Lochhead said: “The provision of personal care is a hugely important issue, affecting the most vulnerable people in Moray and it is vital that the Council delivers an adequate service.
“I’m keen to meet with Roddy Burns and Jane Mackie to discuss the experiences of my constituents and to ensure that steps are being taken to continually improve the level of care people receive.
“Carers in Moray work very hard, doing a hugely valuable job and it’s important that they are given proper support from the Council, allowing them to provide the best level of care.”