‘outrageouS’ raid oN NhS

SNP government accused of robbing medics & social care services as they struggle for resources

SNP ministers have been accused of an “outrageous raid” on health and social care funding after clawing back £331million.

The Covid reserves cash will be “returned” to the Scottish Government despite a funding crisis in the sector.

Labour MSP Jackie Baillie blasted: “The Government must drop these reckless plans to reduce health board budgets and let local health and social care bodies use this funding to deliver the social care services we desperately need.”

As revealed by the Record in October, a senior health official wrote to Integration Joint Boards about their “surplus Covid reserves”.

IJBs, which include councillors and NHS officials, commission health and social care services.

A follow-up letter by Richard McCallum, director of health finance and governance in the Government, has now confirmed the move.

A breakdown shows the IJB in Glasgow will have to return about £44.8million, while Edinburgh’s care body will hand back £32.3million.

The claw back for Fife IJB’s is £21.4million, the sum for North Lanarkshire is £24million and the figure for Aberdeen stands at £9.6million. The collective figure is £331.4million.

Baillie said: “This is an outrageous raid on social care funding.

“Care services are at crisis point and it is causing chaos fURy Baillie across our NHS but the SNP government have decided this is a good time to pick their pockets. “The SNP government are always quick to remind us that the pandemic is still taking a toll on services but their finance department seems to think otherwise.” Tory MSP Craig Hoy said: “This is brass neck stuff from the SNP. It is their years of underfunding which has led to the current crisis in social care services across Scotland. “Attempting to claw this money back from health and social care partnerships, is only trying to mask their own failures. That is typical of their attitude towards public services, yet their plan to support health and social care is a reckless and costly National Care Service.

“This will only take more resources away from local care services and affect some of the most vulnerable.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Most Integration Joint Board reserves are earmarked for specific purposes, in particular the ongoing response to Covid and cannot be used to fund other spending commitments.

“The money being returned from IJB reserves does not affect wider NHS board budgets. It is being used to fund Covid pressures across the sector and for no other purpose.”