Click to access nr_141030_nhs_finances.pdf
Last October, Audit Scotland published a report on the NHS in Scotland which contained some serious messages. As the press release summarised it:
NHS boards are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with growing pressures, which will considerably test their ability to deliver a national policy to move more services into the community by 2020. All health boards met their financial targets in 2013/14, but several needed additional funding from the Scottish Government orrelied on non-recurring savings.NHS boards’ revenue budgets increased by just over one per cent in real terms in 2013/14, and smaller real terms increases are planned from2014/15 onwards.
The report received some press attention at the time and the Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee took some account of it, in looking at the 2015-16 budget proposals, but produced a pretty anondyne final report. It’s available here: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/85398.aspx
It deserved – and still does – a lot more attention.
Meantime in Scotland ... 