Perth and Kinross has a growing population of older people and the HSCP arranges around 13,000 hours of care each week to people who need support at home.

The new arrangements with care providers will help make sure people don’t have to wait lengthy periods to receive a care at home package, and will give people more choice and control over the care they receive.

The new arrangements will:

The new six-year contract with external care providers will begin at the end of May 2017 and be phased in over the next two months.

External care providers will continue to work in partnership with HSCP Care at Home staff to support people who need care at home and help those in hospital get home from hospital as quickly as possible when they are ready to be discharged.

Perth and Kinross HSCP chief officer, Robert Packham, said: “The new contract with partner providers will create an improved Care at Home service that is fit to meet the demands we are facing in Perth and Kinross.

“The need for Care at Home services is going to increase into the future and we have to be ready for that. The new arrangements have flexibility built-in so that providers can step into pick up care packages across all parts of Perth and Kinross when they are needed.

“This should cut down on the time people have to wait for a care package, and make sure that people are well cared for in their own homes and can lead active, independent and healthy lives in their own community for as long as possible.”