News / Tavish on NHS funding
NHS SHETLAND continues to be “short-changed” by the Scottish government, according to local MSP Tavish Scott.
The LibDem MSP said on Wednesday that figures published earlier this week show that Shetland health board should receive an extra £900,000 in annual funding.
He now has demanded an explanation health secretary Shona Robison.
Scott said: “Last month the Scottish Government insisted that all health boards would be brought within 1 per cent of parity of their funding formula. They even boasted they were hitting their target a year early.
“This month, we learn that this is not true. NHS Shetland is still being short-changed by £900,000, whilst NHS Grampian, which provides key services to Shetland patients, has been short-changed to the tune of £17m.
“This funding is needed to help deliver vital health services to Shetland patients.
“They, along with the NHS staff in Shetland deserve to know why, in the space of five weeks, Scottish Ministers have gone back on their earlier promises.”
A spokesperson for the health secretary said: “Despite the Tory-Lib Dem Westminster Government slashing Scotland’s fiscal revenue budget by almost 10 per cent since taking power we’ve protected frontline NHS spending.
“Spending on Scotland’s health service next year will be above £12 billion for the first time – with all territorial Health Boards receiving increases of at least 1 per cent above-inflation.
“Indeed, NHS Shetland is receiving an uplift of £1.1m (2.8%) in 2015/16, plus a further £123k to tackle delayed discharge.
“It is a shame that the Lib Dems voted against these increases in funding for NHS Grampian this year’s budget, and indeed, at no point in the budget process did they ask for any additional funding for the NHS.”
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