Fears for health and social care services

Health bosses in Dundee will ask the Scottish Government to fully fund coronavirus recovery plans to stop a “collapse” of services in the city.

It is feared health and social care services will not be able to continue unless more money is given to deal with the ongoing pandemic.

At a meeting of Dundee health and social care integration joint board yesterday, members were told the Scottish Government has already given £100 million to partnerships across the country, with Dundee receiving more than £2m.

Kathryn Sharp, senior manager of Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership, said in a report more cash is expected but a recovery from the challenges of coronavirus will only be possible on this basis.

The recovery plan includes proposals to resume normal services, work to reopen GP surgeries, increasing flu immunisations and dealing with a potential second wave.

Dundee councillor and board member Helen Wright called for partnership officers to write to Scotland’s health secretary, Jeane Freeman, calling for all money pledged to be released in full to prevent cuts to services.

She said: “Given the current financial position leaves the service exposed to financial collapse, the integration joint board (should) instruct the chief officer to write to the Scottish Government requesting that the funds committed are released in full, honouring commitments given to fully fund the service.”

The call, which was unanimously agreed, comes as chief internal auditor Tony Gaskin warned that the health and social care partnership is “unsustainable” unless drastic changes are made.

He examined various services offered by the partnership, including those which had previously been highlighted as requiring improvement.

Mr Gaskin said: “Really there hasn’t been the progress we would have hoped for.

“There is no doubt Covid-19 had an impact but these things have been hanging around for a long time and our view is there is no guarantee they would have been done anyway.”

But chief officer Vicky Irons said more progress would have been made without the added challenge of coronavirus.