MSP quizzes government about funding
wA Labour MSP this week said the Scottish Government have admitted that they are currently not providing enough funding to the NHS to meet the needs of patients in Lanarkshire.
In response to a question tabled by Central Scotland Labour MSP Richard Leonard, the Scottish Health Secretary, Shona Robison, admitted that to“deliver its services within the level of investment being made, NHS Lanarkshire are required to deliver both reform of services and savings.” The admission comes after NHS Lanarkshire was forced to make £43million worth of cuts in 2016/2017.
In recent weeks, Mr Leonard has highlighted in the Scottish Parliament the scandal of falling real term pay for NHS nurses in Scotland.
Nurses’pay has dropped by 13 per cent since 2010, according to Mr Leonard.
Mr Leonard spoke in Parliament in support of a Labour proposal to scrap the cap on NHS pay which the SNP and the Conservatives joined forces to oppose.
The independent pay review body highlighted in their recommendations that it“implies a further cut in real terms and relative pay”.
Mr Leonard said:“NHS Lanarkshire are being undermined by the lack of support from the SNP Government.
“The real terms cut to health budgets and to public sector pay is not inevitable – they are the result of political choices. I have supported an end to the pay cap on public sector workers and for renewed investment in the NHS. All the demands for sacrifice are aimed at working people delivering our public services and patients locally waiting too long for the healthcare they need.”
Clare Adamson, MSP for Wishaw, said: “The Cabinet Secretary stated clearly in her answer that any savings generated by a health board are immediately re-invested in front-line care within that board.
“The baseline resource funding to NHS Lanarkshire has been increased by 2% (£22.6m) to £1,129.6 million in 2017-18.
“Just last week, the cabinet secretary announced a further £50m investment to improve waiting times across our NHS.”