ELDERLY people in Parts of the west of Scotland are waiting longer than average for social care according to a new report.

Older people in East Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire council areas are waiting longer than the three week average.

Research by charity Age Scotland found the elderly are facing increasing waits in many parts of Scotland

It found more than four in 10 older people requiring “substantial” or critical care last year waited more than the six weeks set down in national guidelines.

The charity said urgent action is needed to improve the situation for the elderly and reduce the impact of the delays on family members.

Its report Waiting for Care: Is Scotland meeting its commitment to older people? makes several recommendations including further efforts to attract and recruit more social care workers.

The charity said more than 6,000 older people (43%) across the 14 local authorities who responded to its Freedom of Information request waited more than six weeks for the services they required.

The average time to receive an assessment to determine social care needs was three weeks across Scotland but was higher in the Western Isles, Dundee, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Midlothian, Moray and Perth and Kinross.

Previous research conducted by Age Scotland found that in 2015 the average waiting time was two-and-a-half weeks.

Age Scotland chief executive Brian Sloan said: “While many people do receive social care within the time-frame outlined in national guidelines, more than four in 10 wait much longer.

“In one circumstance last year the wait was more than eight months. This is too high and action must be taken to urgently improve the situation for older people in Scotland.

Scottish Labour’s health spokesman Monica Lennon said: “Too many people are waiting too long for the care they need and are entitled to.

“Cash-strapped health boards are spending millions keeping people in hospital when they don’t need to be there, and we need to end the crisis in social care by properly resourcing local councils.”

Glasgow City Council was not one of the 14 councils who responded to the request.

Have you been affected by a delay in receiving a social care package? Get in touch via news@eveningtimes.co.uk