Nursing chiefs warn NHS faces £250m budget cuts

Published on Tuesday 6 July 2010 17:58

THE National Health Service in Scotland must make cuts of at least £250 million this year to break even, nursing leaders warned as they launched a campaign to protect front-line services.

The Royal College of Nursing said health boards had revealed the true extent of savings that must be made might be even higher, after some indicated additional cuts may be necessary.

The 250m is on top of the 2 per cent efficiency savings that the NHS has to achieve to re- invest in other services.

The RCN pointed to the extent of the cuts as it launched a UK-wide campaign - Front-line First - to monitor the extent of any cuts in the NHS that might potentially affect patient care.

The figures come after workforce statistics last month revealed 3,790 jobs are set to go in the NHS in Scotland this year, including more than 1,500 nursing and midwifery posts.

The RCN has pulled together information from the Scottish Government and health boards so nurses and the public can see a breakdown of the cuts needed to break even, as the NHS faces rising costs for essential supplies and services, as well as planned reductions in the workforce.

Norman Provan, associate director of RCN Scotland, said: "Politicians genuinely want to protect front-line services and the vital care those working on the front line deliver to patients.

"However, there appears to be a gulf between rhetoric and reality when it comes to making savings in the NHS.

"That is why we have used information from a range of publicly available sources to establish just how severe the problem is that health boards are facing. This reveals that health boards need to save at least 250m this financial year, in addition to 2 per cent efficiency savings, just to break even."

Mr Provan said that, in such difficult financial times, health boards had to listen to front-line staff in order to ensure that cuts did not risk patient care.

"That is why we are launching our Front-line First campaign and website, which mean that our members can come forward with examples of where cuts are being made," he said. "They will also be asked for ideas about how money could be saved through innovation.

"Nurses are realistic about the need to tackle the severe financial challenges facing the NHS, and they know how to do it. By sharing innovative care and helping to reduce waste, we can help meet these challenges."

Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: "It is clear that the SNP's cuts to NHS jobs, particularly nursing posts, will have a deeply damaging effect on patient care and Nicola Sturgeon needs to address these concerns."

Ms Baillie said the cuts being made in Scotland would mean 1,523 fewer nurses.

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Ross Finnie said the RCN's approach was "highly constructive".

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon responded: "Despite an overall 500m cut in the Scottish budget, we have increased NHS funding in real terms.

"I have made clear that ensuring a quality service for patients must be at the centre of these plans and I have also given a guarantee that there will be no compulsory redundancies.

"I'm also confident that by the end of this parliamentary session there will be more staff in the NHS than there were at the start of it."