Our plan for Scotland: what it means for older people

Nicola Sturgeon has set out the Scottish Government’s plans for the next year.

From making our NHS fit for the future to the concessionary bus pass scheme, here’s just some of the action we’re taking in government for Scotland’s older people.

 

  • To tackle fuel poverty, we’ll introduce a Warm Homes Bill later in the parliament. We’ll make energy efficiency a national infrastructure priority too, supported by more £500 million of funding over four years.

  • Free travel through the National Entitlement Card will continue on local or Scottish long distance buses for Scotland’s older and disabled people.

  • We will invest £200 million to expand the Golden Jubilee and establish five new elective treatment centres for procedures such as hip and knee replacements.

  • We are committed to protecting free personal and nursing care for older people. And, we’ll carry out a study to look at expanding it to people with dementia who are under 65.

  • We will build capacity in the social sector to address the demands of an ageing population by transferring £250 million each year to integrated health and social care partnerships.

  • We will continue to protect free eye tests and free prescriptions.

  • A new dementia strategy will explore the relocation of services into primary care to make them more accessible.

  • In spring next year we will refresh ‘Age, Home and Community’, the national strategy on housing for older people and set out new actions to tackle social isolation, including the development of a National Social Isolation Strategy.

  • Working with the third sector, we will take action to ensure that nobody is excluded from the benefits of digital technology as it changes and evolves.

 

If you want to keep up to date with our support for older people, sign up to our pensioners group here.