Healthcare cuts will hit elderly and vulnerable

THE most vulnerable people in Dumfries and Galloway are going to suffer if councillors fail to put sustained pressure on the Scottish Government over healthcare funding.

That was the warning on Tuesday from Lochar Councillor Linda Dorward, who is furious that drastic cuts are being considered to health and social care services to plug a huge funding gap.

The region’s Integration Joint Board (IJB) is facing a funding shortfall of nearly £58 million this financial year, which means there will be severe cuts to health and social care that will impact elderly and vulnerable residents across the region

With £12.5m of this funding deficit relating to services delegated to Dumfries and Galloway Council, proposals have now been drawn up for a major review of complex care in the region.

However, following a proposal by the Labour Group at Dumfries and Galloway Council’s recent social work committee, the local authority will now write to Holyrood demanding that this £12.5m gap is plugged.

Speaking at the council’s enabling and customer services committee, Councillor Dorward said: “This is extremely serious – one for our finances; two for the IJB finances; but three, and most importantly, to the most vulnerable citizens in Dumfries and Galloway.

“We need to keep the pressure on from a Dumfries and Galloway perspective to get this £12.5m reversed. I mean, there is a £500m and rising gap in IJB funding across the whole of Scotland. That’s absolutely ridiculous.

“We can’t get away from the fact that this is about people ultimately. We are looking at money here – I get that. But it is actually about people.”

Stranraer and the Rhins Councillor Willie Scobie warned that health service cuts intended to save cash will cause even more problems in the long run.

He said: “If we reduce the care packages to people, as is being suggested, people will have to be admitted to hospital sooner than expected.

“They will then face the hell of delayed discharge because they cannot get out of hospital – as they don’t have a proper care package.”

As things stand, the council is focusing on making changes to complex care provision in a bid to reduce its £12.5m health and social funding deficit.

Nearly £450,000 will be invested in appointing five additional social workers for 18 months. This is a “spend to save” move, which will help reshape services and is expected to reduce operating costs by millions each year.