11,115 Scots waiting on social care assessment or care package

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today raised the alarm as new figures revealed that there are more than 11,000 people currently waiting on social care assessments and care at home packages.

Figures from Public Health Scotland published today reveal:

• The number of people estimated to be waiting on a social care assessment for a package of care to enable them to live independently at home or in the community was 7,806 on 3 November 2025

• The estimated number of people assessed and waiting for a care at home package was 3,309 on 3 November 2025.

Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

“These figures are a stark reminder of just how badly social care has been allowed to drift. Thousands of people who want to get on with their lives are stuck in hospital waiting for care packages and assessments.

“You can’t fix the NHS if social care is broken. Every delayed discharge pushes up A&E waits and leaves ambulances queued outside hospitals.”

“That’s why Scottish Liberal Democrats have driven action to repair social care — securing millions more for the sector, stopping another wasteful SNP centralisation, and creating a new college route for care workers. The Scottish Government now needs to deliver it on the ground.”