GSD slams Govt over domiciliary care ‘crisis of its own making’

The GSD said the transfer of domiciliary care and home support to Lifecome Care was “shambolic from start to finish” and “a crisis” entirely of the Gibraltar Government’s making.

In a hard-hitting statement, the GSD said there was “no real oversight” of the £3.8m contract, as it called for urgent clarity on what will happen now.

The Opposition was reacting after the Government and Lifecome Care agreed last week to terminate the contract after months of controversy.

The contract, which was awarded in June last year, was hailed at the time as a major step forward that would ensure continuity of care and a seamless transition for users and workers alike.

But the Opposition, which from the outset highlighted significant issues that emerged during the transition, said “from day one, it was chaos”.

Over months of exchanges in and out of Parliament, the Government had accused the GSD of exaggerating “teething problems” affecting the service.

Health Minister Gemma Arias-Vasquez, the Opposition said, had “dodged responsibility—deflecting to Lifecome Care, despite the Government holding ultimate accountability and responsibility.”

Last week, faced with the latest battery of parliamentary questions from the Opposition, Ms Arias-Vasquez defended the Government’s position.

She said the Government had made clear it was not satisfied with the service provided by Lifecome and had sought to manage the situation to avoid any impact on users.

Ms Arias Vasquez added too that the Government was providing services “over and above” anything that Gibraltar had previously seen, moving from “68 packages of care at the time that [the GSD] was in office to 512 packages of care that we currently provide”.

But the GSD said the minister had repeatedly refused to answer its detailed questions on the service.

“The people of Gibraltar deserve the truth, not a Government scrambling to cover its tracks,” the GSD said.

Shadow Minister for Care Atrish Sanchez added: “The failure is undeniable.”

“The contract was awarded in June 2024, the transfer happened in September, yet basic preparations were still missing.”

“What was happening in those three months?”

“Why was Lifecome allowed to operate without a local business license until 17th October 2025?”

“We flagged these issues early, but we were ignored.”

“We raised concerns about TUPE [Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)] transfers, rotas, the faulty App, missed care sessions, training, vetting and many more.”

“Each time, the minister dismissed them, providing assurances that were never met.”

“The result? Care workers struggling, families in distress, and a system in collapse.”

“Now we hear from the Unions that neither the Government nor LifeCome were even aware of existing collective agreements for workers.”

“How is that possible?”

The GSD said the Government had failed to understand the basic conditions of the workforce it was meant to protect.

It took public pressure and the looming threat of strike action to force the minister’s hand, the Opposition added, referring to Unite the Union’s ballot of Lifecome members who voted to take strike action.

That strike, initially planned for this week, was postponed after news that the contract was terminated.

The decision to terminate the contract came a day after the latest testy exchanges in Parliament and was “the culmination of a thinly veiled debacle”, the GSD said.

“No spin can hide the truth: this has been a disaster under the minister’s watch,” the Opposition added.

“[Ms Arias-Vasquez] was ‘delighted’ with Lifecome - until she was forced to show them the door.”

The GSD said that, as recently as February 3, the Government had said the number of complaints was falling and satisfaction remained high, with no deterioration in service levels.

But a week later, the Government wrote to Lifecome advising the company that it was not satisfied with the standards of service being provided.

A month later, the contract was terminated.

The Government had referred to “cultural differences” but the GSD asked why, if that was an issue, it had not been identified prior to awarding the contract.

It asked too why mechanisms had not been put in place to address this between June and September, prior to the transfer.

“The answer is simple: there was no real oversight, just blind faith that everything would somehow work out,” the GSD said.

“Because of that failure, service users, families and workers have suffered.”

“Now, the Government openly admits it is in ‘rescue mode’, bypassing normal tendering procedures to rush through another multi-million-pound contract.”

“This crisis is entirely of their own making.”

Ms Sanchez added: “The real question is: what happens next? Who will be responsible for delivering this service? How will that decision be made?”

“And most importantly, what safeguards will be in place to prevent another disaster – one that has already impacted so many lives in our community for months?”

“The Government must urgently set out clear, transparent plans for these critical services.”

The GSD said the GSLP/Liberals campaigned on the promise of “getting the job done”.

“But Minister Arias Vasquez isn’t just responsible for getting it done —she must get it done properly,” the Opposition added.

“This is not about politics. This is about people’s lives.”

“She cannot afford to fail again. Not when it comes to our elderly. Not when it comes to our most vulnerable.”