SCHOOL nurses, maternity and dementia services and social work posts are under scrutiny in Argyll and Bute as health chiefs look to plug a budget gap which could reach £12 million.
A report has revealed a raft of savings options which will be considered by the area’s health and social care partnership (HSCP) when it sets its budget in March.
These include a redesign of dementia services, which would make a £200,000 saving, as well as £100,000 being retained by bringing maternity services within contracted hours.
Proposals to review health visitor and school nurse staffing are also among the savings options, and together could save a further estimated £100,000.
READ MORE: Health and care finances 'improving' – amid warning of volatility to come
And a staffing review of social work posts – with up to five ‘post savings’ being made – would save the HSCP a forecast £246,000 if implemented.
The dementia review includes the proposed closure of 'Knapdale', the in-patient dementia assessment ward at the Mid Argyll Community Hospital and Integrated Care Centre, Lochgilphead.
The partnership's integration joint board (IJB) agreed to put the savings options out to public consultation at a meeting in Lochgilphead on Wednesday, though the board's members have decided to seek more information from officers before deciding exactly what form the consultation will take.
However, the savings options identified by head of transformation and finance Judy Orr amount to £1.6m – and the best case estimate for the budget gap is nearly double that.
The worst case scenario could see a budget gap as much as £12.1m, with the mid-range forecast in Ms Orr’s report being just under £8.3m.
Ms Orr said: “We had expected a draft Scottish budget announcement on December 12 but this was postponed to February 6 because of the UK general election and resultant delays in setting the UK budget.
“The Scottish budget will now be announced on February 6, in advance of the UK budget on March 11, 2020.
“This will allow the IJB to set its budget at the meeting on March 25 as planned, but it is probable that the funding provided may be prudently estimated by the Scottish Government, because they won’t yet know what their devolved settlement will be.
LATEST HEADLINES: Helensburgh urged to have its say on plans for 143 new homes in town
“The current mid-range budget outlook scenario has been developed with a cautious outlook.
“Therefore, we would expect that the budget, when announced, will include funding for the health and local authority sector that meets the mid-range scenario, and will allow both NHS Highland and Argyll and Bute Council to provide the anticipated funding to the HSCP.
“The total savings requirement was estimated earlier in the year at £8.65m, split £5.4m for social work and £3.25m for health.
“Once you allow for those costs which we are unable to influence, this equates to circa three per cent for health and 7.5 per cent for social work and targets were given on this basis to the relevant heads of service.
“However, it should be noted that the IJB can choose to vary this split without restriction.”
READ MORE: Check out the latest news headlines from around Helensburgh and Lomond here
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here