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STV News
a day ago
- Health
- STV News
NHS Grampian to ditch free nappies and cut appointments in bid to save £23m
NHS Grampian has announced plans to ditch free nappies for newborns and cut the number of public holiday appointments in a bid to save £23m. However the health board has warned the financial recovery plan will leave it 'no flexibility' to any increased costs this year. The health board submitted a plan to the Scottish Government at the end of May which identified £23m of savings. NHS Grampian previously warned it expected an overspend of around £68m this year. However, it was told by the Scottish Government that it could not exceed a deficit of £45m for this financial year. The health board was told to produce a plan to find the savings required by June 7. Now, in papers to go before the board on Thursday, it has warned the savings will mean the health board will struggle if other costs increase. The papers say: 'There are a number of risks associated with the financial recovery plan for 2025/26 which would leave NHS Grampian with no flexibility to manage any in year cost pressures that arise.' The Scottish Government previously increased oversight of NHS Grampian, increasing it to stage four out of five of NHS Scotland's National Performance Framework. The Scottish Government has already loaned NHS Grampian around £90m to help it break-even in recent years. NHS Grampian's overspend last year was around £65m, the largest in value terms of any health board in the country, and fifth in percentage terms. Government officials previously said they were 'concerned' about its financial position. The proposed savings include cutting some appointments and services on public holidays, changing the type of vascular stent used for some patients and the ending of providing disposable nappies to 'well babies' born at maternity units. The health board also said its financial situation had been improving, allowing it to find additional money, including through the budgets of Integrated Joint Boards. NHS Grampian though says it can't rule out some patients will be impacted by the savings. In the papers, it says: 'However, it should be noted that mitigations are not possible is all cases and a number of patient groups/people with protected characteristics would be directly affected by the proposed savings.' A so-called 'external diagnostic review' is also being carried out at the health board by the accounting firm KPMG. The review is to identify if further savings can be found and is expected to be complete by the end of June. A Scottish Government spokesperson previously said: 'The Scottish Government continues to support NHS Grampian Board to develop a Financial Recovery Plan in line with the timeframe agreed.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
BBC News
01-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
'Cuts to Aberdeenshire disability day care would be devastating'
Relatives of adults with learning disabilities in Aberdeenshire have said any cuts to day services would be "devastating".The Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership is currently reviewing its day centre provision as part of plans to save millions of and carers of adults with learning disabilities met with Aberdeenshire councillors at Fraserburgh Leisure Centre on Thursday and urged them to protect the "essential" Accounts Commission warned earlier this year that the financial position of Scotland's Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) - which oversee health partnerships - was "precarious". Nireeca McNab helps to care for her 55-year-old aunt Isobel Ann in Ann has attended the Robertson Road day centre in the town for the last 35 years."She really relies on the service," said Nireeca."Robertson Road is the only respite our family gets, we do really rely on that service because we are unpaid carers for both my granny and my auntie." Day centres review When Aberdeenshire's IJB set its budget earlier this year, it agreed that it would review several of the services it provides including in-house learning disability day review focuses on the building-based day services currently on offer in Fraserburgh, Crimond, Banff, Ellon and could see services focused on those with what are seen as the highest includes those with profound multiple learning disabilities, behaviour that challenges, or those transitioning from school and requiring a period of with low to moderate needs could be signposted to other support a result of this, the number of day centres could be reduced. Nireeca said it would be "heart-breaking" for her family if the health and social care partnership cut the number of day said: "The fact that this is even being considered an option is just unbelievable."I feel like the people making these decisions either don't have a heart or have never walked through the doors of Robertson Road, because if they did this wouldn't be happening."The joy and the excitement and the fun that happens behind the doors - you can't even imagine it."She added: "We're putting up a fight and we're not just going to stand here and take it because we really do rely on the service – it's not a luxury, it's essential." Alison Duthie's son Kristopher, 19, also uses the Fraserburgh day centre."It means the world to him," she said. "If that is taken away from Christopher, I really don't know what we would do."It's a very difficult time, it's a challenging time, it's an emotional time, because we don't know what's going to happen and they need structure."Alison said the school gave her son "structure" and it would negatively impact their family if he lost that added: "If Christopher didn't get to Robertson Road, I really don't know what would happen."We can entertain him so much, but he's there with all his friends, the staff are like friends to them."He's my boy, and you just want the best for him like any other parent. You just want the best. And as far as we are concerned just now it is Robertson Road." Jeff Shaw, the Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership manager for North Aberdeenshire, said it was facing "critical financial challenges" and must make more than £17m in savings this year."This means that we will have to do things differently, modernise and transform how we deliver our services, and we will need to do it quickly," he said."I understand and can empathise with the concerns of families, however I can reassure them that people with an assessed need will continue to receive support. "Those with less profound need may no longer meet the criteria to attend our day services and will be supported and signposted to access wider community-based supports."Older adult activity hubs and social care transport are also under review as part of cost-saving on all the reviews will be brought back to the IJB at the end of May.
