National Care Service - people who access adult social care and unpaid carers: evidence

6. Conclusion

In 2020/21, 1 in 25 people in Scotland (231,925 people) received social care support, a 2.5% decrease from 2019/20 but 0.8% higher than in 2017/18. The majority of people receiving social care support in 2020/21 were aged 65 and over (77%). As the population of people aged 65 and over is projected to grow by almost 30% by mid-2045, this could lead to a large increase in the number of people seeking support through a National Care Service.

Females currently make up the majority of people who access social care, although this may partly be because females have a longer life expectancy than males and most people who access social care are older. People living in deprived areas tend to spend more of their lives in poor health which may lead to more people in these areas requiring social care.

The number of unpaid carers in Scotland outnumbered the number of paid health and social care workers before the Covid-19 pandemic. It is thought that since the start of the pandemic the number of people providing unpaid care has increased.

When planning for the National Care Service, it will be important to take into account the age profile and level of deprivation in different areas, including needs of unpaid carers.