SOCIALISTS and trade unionists were left fuming today after a multinational accounting firm was awarded a public contract to run Scotland’s national care service.

It was announced this week that the Scottish government had awarded an initial contract for the new service to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

The £100,000 contract is for “mobilisation of the national care service,” including a “high-level roadmap towards delivery of design,” according to a contract award notice.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has previously said plans to create a national care service in Scotland would lead to profit being “progressively driven out” from the sector. 

Left-wing MSPs in Holyrood raised concerns that this contract award could be the first step towards the service running in the corporate interest. 

Scottish Labour’s Katy Clark told the Star: “The consultation on the new national care service isn’t even over and the Scottish government is already handing out a £100,000 contract to a multinational corporation. 

“There’s no reason why ministers couldn’t draw on the expertise of people working in the public sector. 

“This only compounds the fear that this will not be a care service run for the benefit of vulnerable people but run in the interests of profiteers. 

“A genuine national care service must be publicly owned and free at the point of use like the NHS.”

Leading trade unionists backed the calls for the Scottish government to harness the experience of workers’ already in the sector, pledging to vigorously oppose any move towards outsourcing the vital project to companies with a vested interest in privatised provision. 

STUC general secretary Roz Foyer said: “While this is only a small contract, beginnings matter.

“South of the border, the past year has seen the continued growth of the consultancy gravy train with massive contracts awarded to companies with clear interests in private-sector provision of public services, we do not want this replicated in Scotland.

“Companies such as PwC that have profited for years from governments who have pursued the opposite course should have no role in setting the agenda for the delivery of care in Scotland.”

A Scottish government spokesman said the award is set up only to “underpin” efforts to ensure the creation of the service builds on best practice, adding the contract “offers the best balance of cost and quality.”