Expected £36m of cuts to Edinburgh's health and social care budget 'wholly unacceptable'

Health and social care services in Edinburgh could face 36m of cuts next year

Officials have warned that up to £36m is expected to be cut from health and social care services in the Capital next year – while the “magnitude” of savings could have a “direct impact” on frontline care.

The Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (IJB), which provides health and social care services across the Capital, will meet on Tuesday to discuss how to bridge an expected £36m funding black hole for the 2020/21 financial year.

The board took until October to set its budget for this financial year, seven months late – while the city council is expected to cut up to £40m from its budget next year.

An organisation that represents care providers in Scotland has labelled the proposed cuts as “wholly unacceptable”.

Dr Donald Macaskill, CEO of Scottish Care said: “Nothing else we do as a country matters as much as the degree to which we choose to care for the most vulnerable and those who need support. The choices being faced by the Edinburgh IJB are wholly unacceptable.

“They should not be in this position of having to deal with such critical underfunding. I call upon Scottish Government to meet this challenge, to significantly improve the financial allocation to local government and to

support those who care and who are cared for.”

Age Scotland’s chief executive Brian Sloan added: “Social care in Scotland is under tremendous strain with stretched budgets, a lack of staff and an ageing population.

“There should be more investment in social care, not less. The Integrated Joint Board must realise that any cut to that budget would be a false economy and will have severe implications to frontline services.

“Our own research has shown that four in 10 older people are already waiting longer than they should for the social care that they are entitled to and desperately need, so any reduction in funding will only make the position worse in the future.”

The chairman of the IJB, Angus McCann, has written to the chief executives of both the council and NHS Lothian, as well as to council finance convener, Cllr Alasdair Rankin, “highlighting these concerns” and the impact it may have.

Politicians have called for the Scottish Government to hand over more funding to local authorities when it sets its budget next week.

Green Finance spokesperson, Cllr Gavin Corbett, said: “The health and social care budget gap of £36m is massive and is bound to have an impact on services for older people at the very time when demand is rising.

“From meeting the chief officer I know there are some things which the board is able to do to change services and it has begun that process. However, that work cannot cover a shortfall as large as £36m.”

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “Edinburgh IJB have been making good progress in reducing the number of bed days patients are spending in hospital due to a lack of social care provision available in the community.

“These cuts, which are being forced on Edinburgh IJB because of the decision by SNP Ministers to reduce the councils budget, will inevitably have a negative impact on services. NHS Lothian is already under enormous pressure and these cuts will make the delivery of healthcare in Lothian even harder.”

An EIJB spokesperson said: “The EIJB board is currently working with our partners at NHS Lothian and the City of Edinburgh Council on the budget process. A key part of any financial decisions that are reached will be dependent on the budget set by the Scottish Government.

“We are clear that we want to ensure as far as possible that we minimise any impact on health and wellbeing, health inequalities, and preserve as far as possible our strategic ambitions supporting early intervention, prevention and wellbeing.”