A bleak picture for healthcare

EMERGENCY funding was used to make sure a health and social care body’s accounts balanced last year.

Dumfries and Galloway Integration Joint Board (IJB) were helped out by extra funding from their statutory partners.

That came in the form of £22.6 million extra from the NHS and £1.8 million from the Council - who are also both facing financial woes.

The situation was revealed at a meeting of the IJB on Tuesday, along with a warning of record deficits and deepening pressures.

A bleak picture of the future was also painted, including of a £58 million deficit forecast for 2025/26, and savings of more than £30 million yet to be found.

Newly-appointed IJB interim chief officer Gareth Marr, above, said: “Our staff and communities continue to show remarkable resilience, but the pressures on health and social care are mounting.

“Without urgent renewal, we will struggle to keep pace with the needs of local people.”

He also revealed their reserve funds had fallen sharply from £8.8 million to £4.1 million, with every penny tied to specific projects such as winter planning and mental health recovery.

Mr Marr said: “We are not just facing a financial gap - we are facing a fundamental test of how we deliver care. Transformation is not optional; it’s essential.”

And explaining how the financial strain is being felt on the ground locally, he pointed out that demand for emergency care is rising, hospital discharges are delayed, and waiting lists for planned treatment are growing.

“The pressure is system-wide, with social care facing more people waiting for support at home and fewer residential places available,” added Mr Marr. “Our priority remains the same – safe, effective, compassionate care for local people - but we must deliver it in new ways or otherwise risk letting down those who need us most.”