Scotland's new National Care Service must recognise the needs of those with different conditions including dementia, the Greens have said.

The party has already signalled its backing for Alzheimer Scotland's call to end the 'dementia tax' which leaves people with the disease paying for health care that would be free if they had other terminal conditions.

The charity's Fair Care campaign, which is backed by The Herald, has already received cross-party support from Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

Scottish Greens health and care spokesperson Gillian Mackay said it was important that changes to social care funding and structure recognised the needs of those with different health requirements and delivers tangible improvements to services.

The government has pledged to increase the level of 'free' nursing and personal care allowances but Alzheimer Scotland say this will not be enough to address the inequality dementia patients.

The Herald:

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The charity has suggested all nursing costs should be free or nursing home residents should be assessed on an individual basis for state assistance. 

The Scottish Greens will join the SNP in the Scottish government after party members voted in favour of the "historic" power-sharing deal.

The agreement will see the Scottish Green co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater become government ministers – the first time any Green representative has held political office in a government in the UK.

The party was asked by The Herald if it would be exerting pressure on the government to overhaul dementia nursing allowances given its support for Alzheimer Scotland's campaign.

Gillian Mackay, Scottish Green's health spokeswoman, said: “The National Care Service is at a very early stage and I would encourage all concerns to be fed into the consultation.

"It’s important that we build something that has local engagement, improves services and recognises the needs of different conditions, including dementia.”

READ MORE: Government criticised for 'failing to even mention' dementia in social care plans 

The Scottish Government has pledged to bring forward £800 million of funding for social care ahead of the nationalisation of services. 

A 1.25 percentage point national insurance hike for workers and employers was announced last week by Boris Johnson, as a means to raise £12bn to clear the NHS Covid backlog and fund social care.

This is set to provide £1.1 billion of additional funding to the Scottish Government in Barnett consequentials. The UK Government has said the money must be spent on health and social care.