Scotland's elderly care bill soars
27 August 2008
 A flagship policy implemented by the Scottish Labour government which ensures free health for the elderly has increased in cost by £100 million in the past four years. The 74 per cent jump is expected to lead to a huge bill for taxpayers, according to the Times.More than 50,000 pensioners in Scotland receive free health care, with local authorities spending more than £1 billion on services for those above retirement age, the paper reports.But Lindsay Scott, a spokesman for Age Concern Scotland, said: "The figures should not fuel any concern.""The amount councils spend is minuscule compared with their overall budgets."According to research by Saga the average care home bill is around £540 a week and the company believes care home costs could rise to as much as £1,000 a week in 20 year's time.Saga claims the average stay at a British care home is four years, with a bill of around £112,000.  © Adfero Ltd
© 2008 Adfero Ltd. All rights reserved. Any views and opinions expressed in news articles are not those of Craegmoor Limited and its associated companies. News supplied by Adfero DirectNews.
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