The Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) will meet next week to consider how they can balance their books.
The board has a £900 million budget and is proposing to make cuts of £29 million in a savings programme over the next year.
The EIJB, in common with all other integration boards in Scotland, is facing “significant financial challenges”. Demand for their services continues to grow, alongside rising costs and a reduction in the working age population.
The board suggests that its medium-term financial strategy, and its new strategic plan, will respond to these challenges in determining how the board invests the £900 million it has to spend on providing health and social care services in Edinburgh.
Officers have developed a proposed savings programme with reductions of £29 million, which will be considered by the EIJB when they meet on 25 March 2025. The board admits that “while this programme tries to protect services, citizens and staff as far as possible, reductions of this size and scale cannot be made without impact”.
Katharina Kasper, Chair of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board said: ‘We have been working closely with our partners in the Council and NHS, and I am pleased that we have the opportunity to consider plans that would deliver a balanced budget for next year. However, we are facing unprecedented challenges to the sustainability of our health and care system, and more needs to be done to futureproof the high-quality care we offer for the most vulnerable people in our society. The EIJB now has some difficult decisions to make in this complex landscape to ensure that we can continue to offer vital support to people when they need it.’
Christine Laverty, Chief Officer of the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership said: ‘I would like to thank my new colleagues for all their hard work to develop these draft plans, which will help us to bring about the changes we need to make to our health and social care services. I do not underestimate the challenges we will face in the coming years, but my commitment to the people of Edinburgh is to provide quality health and care services for those who need them most, with care and compassion, within the financial envelope available’.
The next Integration Joint Board, where the financial plans will be discussed, is on 25 March at 10am. For meeting details and to read the papers, visit the City of Edinburgh Council website
Miles Briggs MSP said: “I am very concerned that the Joint Board has been forced to cut nearly £30m from its budget.
“Edinburgh City Council and NHS Lothian are already the lowest funded council and health board per head of population in Scotland.
“I appreciate that EIJB officers have tried their hardest to create a balanced budget despite the restrictions they face.
“However, as many third sector organisations are warning, it is inevitable that cutting funding to such a vital service will have a negative impact on services, staff, and patients.
“This is another clear sign that the SNP government must rethink its funding model for local authorities.”
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