Consultation on health cuts ‘needed to be taken earlier’
Budget cuts will inevitably impact patient services, according to Argyll and Bute health chiefs.
The proposed cuts aim to save the health and social care partnership (HSCP) £4.8 million and could include changes to prescribing policies and mental health care packages as well as a one per cent reduction in hospital budgets.
Speaking at the virtual meeting of the HSCP's integration joint board on Wednesday January 26 the HSCP's head of finance James Gow said: ‘These are savings focused on ensuring that people have the appropriate level of support.
‘It is not about taking essential services away from anybody; these are appropriate changes to care packages which have been pulled together after a detailed review.'
Mr Gow had previously said in a report: ‘There will clearly be a service impact associated with the savings programme, however, the management team have worked hard to ensure that the proposals have the minimum possible impact upon service delivery and our staff. It is also worth highlighting that there is some growth funding available in certain areas and this should enable savings to be delivered with a reduced impact.'
Calls have been made for health chiefs to consult with service-user groups earlier in the budget-setting process.
Chief executive officer at Argyll and Bute Third Sector Interface Takki Sulaiman raised concerns at Wednesday's meeting about the high-cost care package review, as well as plans for transport for patients.
A proposal to save £12,000 involves reducing the number and size of vehicles, and encouraging independent travel where possible.
Mr Sulaiman said: ‘There are no easy options and that is understood from the outset. What would help the Integration Joint Board (IJB) to participate more in the process
‘There are no easy options and that is understood from the outset.’
is some early discussions with service user groups.
‘For example, this could be with the review of high-cost care packages. I am not sure what that represents but it becomes more challenging.
‘If we remove, for instance, horse riding lessons, that is a significant drop in their quality of life. If access to physiotherapy is affected then it might mean people are confined to their houses for longer.
‘On transport costs, it may only be £12,000 but my concern is about the approach. It doesn't look like we are approaching our communities and that could be a really useful tool to aid big decisions.
‘I don't think we should wait until the statutory savings have been agreed to do the EQIA (equality impact assessment), but I acknowledge this is a really difficult thing to do well.'
The consultation process will last until Monday February 28 and the IJB will then set the 2022/23 budget at its next meeting on Wednesday March 30.