Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board have reported an overspend of 4.7m for the period to the end of July 2018, and that this is projected to rise to £11.9m by the end of the financial year. Scottish Conservatives are urging the Scottish Government to step in ease the pressure on Edinburgh’s IJB.
The joint partnership between City of Edinburgh council and NHS Lothian is unable to give any assurance that they will break even this financial year.
The City of Edinburgh Council is expected to have to dip into reserves to cover the social care bill, but there is still expected to be a £2 million shortfall.
Miles Briggs MSP commented: ““This report makes it very clear that the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board simply does not have the resources to deal with the Social Care Crisis in Edinburgh.
“The expectation of SNP Ministers for the City of Edinburgh council to provide more social care with less money is not realistic and it is older people in Edinburgh who are suffering as a consequence.
“It is beyond time that the Scottish Government steps in and makes a concerted effort to alleviate pressure on social care in the capital.”
Cllr Susan Webber, Board Member EIJB, Conservative Cllr Pentland Hills Ward, commented: “The financial challenges we face in the Edinburgh IJB are not showing any signs of improvement.
“This report looks to address the financial crisis by reallocating monies to make the financial outlook less grim and more palatable for the Scottish Government.
“However, the real crux of the matter is that we now find ourselves in a place where we cannot make the savings needed through efficiencies alone.
“The sheer scale and magnitude mean that the savings must come from fundamental transformational changes and the redesign of the services.
“These services are delivered by both NHS Lothian and the City of Edinburgh Council, our partnership organisations.
“I know from a Council perspective I am yet to see any substantive evidence of the scale of change that is essential.
“And if changes have been taking place they not been going far enough and fast enough.
“We need to implement and embed changes into our services across the city at a scale that is required.
“Now is the time for the Integrated Authorities to be provided with adequate funding. I am very much hoping that the full amount of money announced by the Government in Westminster for health will be spent supporting the health and social care crisis we face.
“This is now down to the Scottish Government. If they choose not to allocate 100% of the funding for Health that they have been given by the “Westminster Government, then I will be very saddened and disappointed.
“They are clearly not committed to improving our Health and Social Care services.”
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