National Eligibility Criteria

National Eligibility Criteria

The National Eligibility Criteria are a way of managing the demand on local councils to meet social care needs.

These criteria establish the time people have to wait for services, based on any potential risks to them. Once your care needs are assessed by your local council’s social care department, the council will determine whether you need a service to be put in place in order to meet those needs, and how long you might have to wait.

One aspect of the criteria is that personal and nursing care services should be provided to older people within 6 weeks of assessment, if they’ve been assessed as being at critical or substantial risk.

Read more about National Eligibility Criteria and Community Care Outcomes from the Scottish Government.