City’s health board set for£31mfundingboost
GLASGOW’S health board is to receive an extra £31.1million in government funding this year to drive forward a plan to treat more patients in the community.
A total of £23.6m will be targeted to the on-going integration of health and social care.
Health Secretary Shona Robison said NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde will also receive a share of £128m, to help meet the challenges of a growing elderly population.
Legislation to implement health and social care integration came into force on April 1, 2016.
In total 31 local partnerships have been set up across Scotland and they will manage almost £8billion of health and social care resources.
Ms Robison said: “This settlement represents a substantial additional investment in health services for the people of Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
“It reflects the Scottish Government’s commitment to continue to support our NHS with record levels of investment.
“However, I am also clear that this investment must be accompanied with service reform.
“We recognise that our growing elderly population means that we need to shift the focus of care towards the community, and that is what we’ll continue to do.
“It is nearly one year since we integrated health and social care across Scotland.
“This reform will enable us to support more people to remain independent for as long as possible, and receive care in the community rather than in hospital.
“Over the coming months we will be working with all health boards to help them develop sustainable financial plans for this year and beyond. “Together we will ensure that this investment delivers better care, better services and better value.”
The Evening Times revealed in January last year that Glasgow’s health board was facing pressure to make £69m in cuts.
Plans were unveiled to shut Lightburn Hospital, the inpatient childrens’ ward at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley and the inpatient unit at the Centre for Integrative Care (CIC) as well as birthing units in the Clyde area.
So far, the board has voted to close the CIC unit and the RAH ward.