The Scottish Government has scrapped plans to deliver structural social care reform through a National Care Service.

In a statement to Parliament, social care minister Maree Todd said the National Care Service Bill would no longer contain ‘legislation for structural reform’.

The Bill will now solely contain proposals for a non-statutory advisory board to provide guidance and drive improvement within the sector and legislation to upholds the rights of residents in care homes to be visited by families or friends, alongside a right to breaks for unpaid carers.

The minister said: ‘I have concluded that we must deliver our Scottish National Care Service without legislating for structural reform, securing a different means to deliver our goals.’

The National Care Service Bill has faced fierce criticism from politicians, local authorities and trade unions.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said: ‘Care in our country is broken, but SNP ministers have spent four years and £30m on the wrong solutions. That’s enough to pay the salaries of 1,200 care workers for an entire year. What a waste.

‘Every year wasted on this is a year the minister could have been getting on with fixing our broken care system.’

Scottish Green health spokesperson Gillian Mackay said: ‘I hope that this announcement will allow us to focus on the areas where there is a far greater consensus and where we can deliver real and positive change, such as ensuring that people living in care homes have the right to see and spend time with loved ones.

‘We will work with the Scottish Government and other parties and stakeholders to deliver changes that will support carers to take personalised respite breaks, and greater access to advocacy and information.’