Aberdeenshire health chiefs asked to reconsider budget cuts
Aberdeenshire health chiefs have been asked to reconsider “brutal” budget cuts and charges amid threats they could potentially face legal action.
The region’s integration joint board met today to consider the Aberdeenshire Heath and Social Care Partnership budget for the year ahead.
Members were told that if no changes were made, the partnership would be left with a £40 million overspend.
So to stop this from happening, health teams came up with a list of proposed service reductions, reviews and charge increases.
Chief officer Pamela Milliken stressed that “very challenging decisions” would need to be made to save crucial cash and balance the budget.
She added: “The aim of this indicative budget and recovery plan is to build back the health and social care partnership to a sustainable place.
“This will enable us to continue to care for people who we provide services to.”
Chairman Dr John Tomlinson explained that the partnership had no spare cash to turn to as its reserves had been used up.
He didn’t think extra money would come from partners NHS Grampian and Aberdeenshire Council either as they are facing “acute financial challenges”.
“Us and others have run out of road in terms of being able to fund these services and rely on funding partners because of the challenges that they face,” he said.
“We have to live within our means, that’s what we’ve got to correct.”
Dr Tomlinson added: “We need to recognise that we are caught between a rock and a hard place with finances and meeting needs.”
But Inez Kirk, staff representative from UNISON was concerned that the recovery plan was full of “assumptions” that had not been measured or tested.
The trade union representative even believed the proposal was unlawful.
She explained: “I believe there are some elements of breaches of legislation and the law in order to achieve those savings, particularly around staffing.
“I find it quite concerning that some of the recommendations are breaching the Local Government Scotland Act.”
Amongst the proposed budget papers were a number of savings that would enable the partnership to claw back just short of £8m.
This included a reduction in transport services (£838,391) and reviews of various services from care home provision to day care.
Meanwhile, recruitment has been frozen across the leadership team and several posts have been put on hold in a bid to save £100,000.
The in-house home care and ARCH responder service will also be redesigned, with the hope to save just over £3m.
The next saving identified was by implementing the learning disability strategy and reviewing in-house day services.
This review would look at how buildings are used and staffed going forward.
A further review would be carried out at the older adult activity hubs at Doocot View in Banff, Abbey Court in Mintlaw, and Jarvis Court in Fraserburgh.
Care homes and very sheltered care homes will also be looked at in more detail to ensure there is an efficient operating model across Aberdeenshire.
Councillor Ross Cassie questioned how the proposed savings had been drawn up.
“We’re looking at £7,780,510 in proposed savings which is a lot of money that is based purely and simply on assumptions.
“There is potential for a reduction in staff, we’ve been told people are getting sicker earlier which would indicate eggs are falling out of the basket and being broken on the floor.
“I want things to be done properly and the provision to be based upon need.
“We need to take everything into consideration, and not as this is proposed, by plucking a number out of the air.”
Ms Milliken explained that the saving figures came from senior management teams who had been working on the various proposals and how they would be delivered.
But Ms Kirk fired back, suggesting many of the savings didn’t take account of the “full ramifications” of equal pay and Fair Work regulations.
She added: “If those were taken into account, which every employer must do, then we are not going to make the savings as indicated.
“There is no feasible way to make those savings while protecting staff pay and respecting them and not having a two-tier workforce.
“You really have to take into consideration that what these choices mean are potentially breaching legislation and facing legal challenge from the likes of myself.”
The partnership budget also included increasing a number of charges, some of which were described as “eye-watering”.
It is hoped that the hikes would help raise an extra £3.3m over the next year as the current level of charges “don’t break even”.
The proposal included raising in-house care home support from £887.30 per week to a staggering £1586.79.
In-house Learning disability day care services is also expected to rocket from £48.55 per day to £148.04.
Councillor David Keating asked for assurance that anyone living in a care home who may be unable to pay for the rise would not be thrown out.
His colleague councillor Cassie branded the charge changes as “brutal” and feared the move would “drain bank accounts rapidly” of care home residents.
But, partnership manager Janine Howie stressed that no-one would be asked to leave a care home for financial reasons.
“When someone’s moving into a care home, their care manager undertakes a financial assessment with them,” she explained.
“Nobody is asked to pay more than they can afford.
“When their money is reduced so that they meet that lower capital limit, they are then more or less fully funded by the council.”
She added: “That is their home for life, we make sure they have that financial assessment support to get funding from us to be able to support them to live there for as long as they wish.”
Board members agreed to move ahead with the proposed budget savings and charges.
Aberdeenshire councillors will consider the charges when they meet next Thursday to set the local authority’s budget.
Meanwhile, health chiefs will write to the council and NHS Grampian seeking support to retain ADHD services.
This would come at an estimated cost of £80,000 for six months.
A report will come before the IJB when it meets next month to suggest how these costs can be covered.
