£1.4m cash boost for health services

Swingeing health board cuts have been avoided after chiefs vowed to plough extra cash into Renfrewshire.

NHS bosses have pledged to funnel an extra £1.4 million to the region to mitigate planned reductions.

Renfrewshire Council had warned school nurses, mental health services and hospital evening transport could be axed under plans to slash the budget.

But the shake-up was blocked by Labour members of the committee during a vote.

Councillor Iain McMillan, chairman of the district’s health integrated joint board, hailed the result of the ballot.

He told the Paisley Daily Express: “This is a victory for Labour in Renfrewshire.

“Despite the SNP government talking about increased budgets for health, they are reducing settlements locally, which would mean vital services being cut for some of our most vulnerable people.

“Our councillors on the board refused to accept these cuts and, as a result, extra money has been awarded to allow these vital services to continue here.”

The panel met last week and consists of four non-elected health board leaders and four elected, including Derek Bibby, Jacqueline Henry and Councillor McMillan.

NHS officials wanted to cut £1.3m from the local budget, including £150,000 from the costs of putting nurses in school, £226,000 spent on podiatry and £10,000 from hospital buses.

Mental health faced a £363,000 decline and almost £60,000 diverted from consultant psychologist posts.