‘Unsustainable’ cuts could spell crisis, warns MSP

NHS Fife risks being plunged into financial crisis over its reliance on one-off cuts, a senior MSP has warned.

The kingdom’s health board was the most dependent on nonrecurring savings in the country, according to the Audit Scotland report for 2016/17.

Health chiefs managed to balance the books last year, but only through cuts that cannot be rolled over into following years.

Financially-stricken NHS Tayside, which must find more than £200 million of savings over five years, was the only board in the country to require a government loan last year to break even, the Audit Scotland report revealed.

The auditor general Caroline Gardner said that “increasing reliance on non-recurring savings is unsustainable”.

“This is because it is becoming more and more difficult for NHS boards to identify areas in which they can make Anas Sawar rarely misses an opportunity to call for the head of the health secretary.

Scottish Labour’s health spokesman, who is vying to be party leader, urged the First Minister to sack Shona Robison – one of her closest confidantes – on the back of the Audit Scotland report.

A source close to the First Minister insisted last night her job is not under threat. But there is mounting pressure on the Dundee East MSP.

The finances of her own health board are the worst in a country where nearly £400 million of cuts were made last year to break even. one-off savings.

“And boards that make high levels of one-off savings will have to find more savings in future years as they have less recurring savings to use,” she said.

Willie Rennie, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and Fife MSP, said: “Fife’s reliance on one-off savings is not sustainable and if not addressed urgently then the health board could be facing a financial crisis.”

Carol Potter, NHS Fife’s finance director, said achieving a budget surplus of £234,000 for 2016/17 was testament to the hard work of staff.

“This was very much in line with our financial planning,” she added.

“The work to modernise and improve the efficiency of our services is ongoing in the face of a difficult financial challenge.”

Lesley Mclay, NHS Tayside’s chief executive, said they are taking “decisive action” to close the financial gap.

And over the Firth of Tay there is the threat of a looming cash crisis if sustainable efficiencies cannot be found by Fife health chiefs.

So far Tayside and Fife are still performing well in treating patients.

But across the country those cuts are starting to bite, at a time when Scotland’s general health remains poor.

Life expectancy is among the lowest in Western Europe and good health is still heavily dependent on where you live and your bank balance.

The challenges facing healthcare may not be of Ms Robison’s doing, but they could still be her unmaking.