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Daily Record
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Scottish Government 'concerned' over NHS Dumfries and Galloway financial picture
Health chiefs are forecasting an overspend of £28 million in the current financial year. The Scottish Government has expressed 'concerns' at the financial situation at NHS Dumfries and Galloway. Health chiefs are forecasting an overspend of £28 million in the current financial year. And that has led to officials in Edinburgh moving the health board to the third stage of the NHS Scotland Support and Intervention Framework. It had been on level two of the five step model since November 2023. In a letter from NHS Scotland chief executive Caroline Lamb to NHS Dumfries and Galloway boss Julie White – which will be presented to Monday's health board meeting – it is explained the move is being taken due to 'concerns about the financial sustainability of the board'. Over the past three years, the health board has received £58 million from the Scottish Government in brokerage, which will be repaid once the health board breaks even. Ms Lamb's letter states that the £26.2 million provided last year was 'the highest brokerage requirement as a proportion of total budget across NHS Scotland'. And the £28 million overspend predicted in 2025/26 is 'the highest of any NHS board as a proportion of total budget'. Ms Lamb notes that the support provided following the move to stage two has been 'beneficial' but 'there has been insufficient improvement in financial sustainability'. Moving to stage three means 'enhanced monitoring and support', including 'increased oversight from Scottish Government together with increased engagement with the NHS Scotland finance delivery unit'. Last October, the then finance director Katy Kerr predicted escalation to stage three was 'inevitable'. Interim finance director Susan Thompson's report for Monday's meeting says a £28 million overspend is expected in 2025/26 against a Scottish Government cap of £25 million. The financial plan has been accepted by Holyrood on the basis 'that any unexpected in year benefits are used to bridge the £3 million gap with any in year pressures being managed within existing budgets'. The approved financial plan contains a savings target of £21.6 million – more than the record £20.1 million the health board saved last year.
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
SNP pays growing number of ‘fat cat' civil servants £100k
The number of senior Scottish civil servants earning more than £100,000 a year has grown under the SNP, figures show. The Scottish Government currently employs 73 senior civil servants (SCS), who are the heads of various departments and directorates. The highest paid is Caroline Lamb, the director-general of the health department and head of the Scottish NHS, whose annual salary is listed as between £205,000 and £209,000. Last year, only 66 staff were on six-figure salaries, adding up to a total of £7.5m. But the top tier of civil servants now costs taxpayers £8.6m a year in wages with many earning in excess of £110,000 – three times the average annual salary in Scotland. Levels of pay for SCS are set by the UK Government in Westminster, but the size of the civil service in Scotland is determined by Holyrood. There were 52 senior officials earning salaries of more than £100,000 in 2023, 38 in 2021 and just 14 as recently as 2018. This year, top earners included Joe Griffin, now the permanent secretary to the Scottish Government, who was paid £140,000 per year in his former role of director general of strategy and external affairs, and Alyson Stafford, who earns £160,000 per year as director general of the Scottish Exchequer. The growing wage bill has emerged after the Scottish Government launched a round of cuts to the budgets of NHS and mental health services citing growing financial pressures. Last September, Shona Robison, the finance secretary, announced £115.8m in cuts to health and social care as part of the SNP government's savings plan. Critics have criticised the 'out of control' cost of civil service wages to taxpayers, and accused the SNP of having the wrong priorities. Craig Hoy, the spokesman for finance and local government for the Scottish Conservatives, told the Mail: 'The civil service, and the cost of it, have ballooned out of control under the SNP's watch, and by far the biggest expansion has been in those on the highest salaries. 'When Scots are paying the UK's highest taxes, but seeing worsening services, there's no excuse for fat cat pay packages of this sort.' Equalities and rights roles also surged In May, it emerged that the number of civil servants working on equalities and human rights in Scotland had also grown under the SNP, surging by almost 50 per cent in two years. Scottish Government figures released under Freedom of Information laws showed the costs of its Equalities and Human Rights Directorate had risen sharply after a huge increase in staffing and salary levels. The number of officials on the department's payroll rose from 105.6 in 2022-23 to 152.7 in 2024-25 – an increase of 44.6 per cent. The period of the increase coincided with Nicola Sturgeon's government tabling the Gender Recognition Reform (GRR) Bill, which would have allowed biological men to change legal gender by simply signing a declaration.
Scotsman
11-06-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
Scotland's Health Awards 2025: Nominations open as Health Secretary Neil Gray urges 'do it today'
Health Secretary Neil Gray is encouraging everyone to nominate those who have gone above and beyond in health and social care. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... 'If you know someone who has done something special to go above and beyond, put in a nomination.' Those words are the simple, yet compelling message from Health Secretary Neil Gray as he officially launches this year's Scotland's Health Awards 2025, sponsored by The Scotsman. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Caroline Lamb, chief executive of NHS Scotland and director-general health and social care, and Health Secretary Neil Gray at the launch of The Scotsman Health Awards 2025, which will be held in the Edinburgh Corn Exchange in November. | Lisa Ferguson The Scotsman is hosting this year's awards, which celebrate the extraordinary achievements of individuals and teams who go above and beyond to deliver compassionate, high-quality health and social care to the people of Scotland. There are 17 awards up for grabs, all aiming to recognise frontline health and social care workers and celebrate those who work hard behind the scenes to make sure patients across the country get the highest level of care possible. The Scotsman spoke to the health secretary as nominations officially open to hear just how important Scotland's Health Awards are. 'I'm delighted to announce the launch of Scotland's Health Awards 2025,' Mr Gray said. 'These awards offer the opportunity to not only acknowledge all of our fantastic colleagues who work tirelessly day in, day out across our health and care services, they give us the chance to show what their extraordinary achievements mean to each and every individual in Scotland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I've witnessed first-hand the incredible work that goes on across our health and care settings. That's why I'm so pleased that these awards recognise frontline health and social care workers and also celebrate those who work so hard in support roles to ensure our services achieve the highest quality of care and patient experience. 'We're still experiencing a challenging time across our health system, but with a clear focus on reform and renewal, it's more important than ever to express our appreciation and showcase how amazing our workforce is in continuing to improve people's lives, often under enormous pressure. 'Please take the time to nominate and say thank you on behalf of all of us.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The awards ceremony and gala dinner will be held at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange on Thursday, November 6, but nominations are now officially open. Scotland's Health Awards 2025 is open for nominations | The Scotsman This year's categories, along with two brand new awards, include care for mental health, as well as awards for the doctor, nurse, support worker, top team, volunteers, young achiever, Allied Health Professional, midwife and leader of the year. Mr Gray is encouraging everyone to get involved and nominate anyone who they think deserves some extra recognition for their work in the health and social care sector, stressing 'the NHS is all about people'. When asked what people should do if they are thinking about nominating someone, Mr Gray said: 'Do it, do it today - don't put it off. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I've found at these events previously just being nominated, having that form of recognition from your peers or from members of the public, is incredibly important to them. 'Getting to the final shortlist and being at the awards, as well as winning, is an incredibly special moment. These people don't seek that level of recognition, they don't chase it, but that is what is so powerful. 'If anyone knows someone who has done something special to go above and beyond, put in a nomination.' Nominations close on Sunday, August 17, but readers will have until October to vote on this year's Readers' Choice Award, which is hand-selected by the public themselves. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Gray described awarding the unsung hero honour, nominated by readers themselves, was one of the most special moments of the awards night. He said: 'This is for someone who is an incredible hero, someone who goes under the radar and doesn't seek the limelight and doesn't seek to get recognition, but is someone who is an absolute central part of delivering services. 'It is critical we recognise them.' Readers will have the chance to nominate for the unsung hero award | Adobe Last year's unsung hero was Michael Kidd, a paramedic with the Scottish Ambulance Service at NHS Ayrshire and Arran. He drove the fundraising efforts to create an interactive sensory room at Monkton Primary School, as well as Aoife's Sensory Bus, a specialist service named in honour of his daughter who died aged six in 2019 from a brain tumour. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Speaking last year, Mr Kidd said: 'Because it helped Aoife so much, we set up a fundraising campaign to help children like her and have now raised enough money for a second bus. 'It's wonderful to see the campaign take off and make an impact, and that good can come out of something so devastating.' The Scotsman's editor Alan Young said he was delighted to be hosting this year's awards, in partnership with NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government. He said: 'Every day, people across Scotland experience the remarkable care and compassion of those working in the health and social care sector. It would be too easy to take those high standards for granted, which is why events like this matter - we are able to acknowledge the exceptional, and celebrate the people who deliver. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Our experience of health and social care is usually with the brilliant staff on the front line, but these awards also offer a chance to recognise those behind the scenes - the leaders, managers and others who make less heralded, but important, contributions.' The awards ceremony and gala dinner will be hosted by television presenter Grant Stott. The Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College of Nursing, GCU (School of Health and Life Sciences), and Alpha Solway: Skytech are all sponsoring individual awards. Nominations are now open and can be submitted online at Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
