Day: February 23, 2023

Audit Scotland: Full transparency on NHS recovery needed

The Scottish Government needs to be clearer about how long it will take the NHS to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and to reform services, says public spending watchdog Audit Scotland.

The government’s NHS recovery plan aims to reduce the healthcare backlog and change how services are delivered. But the plan does not contain the detailed actions that would allow progress to be accurately measured. It also lacks robust modelling to understand demand and capacity. The backlog has continued to increase in the 18 months since the plan was published as the NHS deals with a range of pressures.

Workforce capacity remains the biggest risk to the recovery of NHS services. Health boards are continuing to find it hard to recruit the doctors, nurses and other health professionals needed to make sure NHS services are sustainable in the long-term. Key recruitment targets, such as recruiting 800 GPs by 2027, are unlikely to be met. The NHS workforce remains under severe pressure and there are concerns over staffing levels, wellbeing, and retention.

The Scottish Government is moving ahead with the innovation and reform essential to NHS sustainability. But it is too early to gauge the impact of this work. In the meantime, every NHS board is facing significant financial challenges which could limit how much they can invest in recovery. And the Scottish Government also needs to make information on how long people will have to wait for treatment clear and meaningful.

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “NHS staff remain under severe pressure and the Scottish Government is facing tough choices.

“Money is tight but investment is needed in recovery. That means ministers have to prioritise which NHS aims can realistically be delivered. And they need to be more transparent about the progress they’re making.

“The Scottish Government has set out the big challenges facing the NHS. But it also needs to clearly explain to the public what those challenges mean for the level of service they can expect, including waiting times.”

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New annual Winter Heating Payment begins

£20m to help 400,000 Scots with heating costs

Help with heating costs is on its way to around 400,000 people on low incomes through a new Scottish Government benefit, with the first payments processed this week.

More than £20m will be paid out over the course of February and March in Winter Heating Payments.

Winter Heating Payment replaces the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Cold Weather Payment. Unlike the DWP benefit it replaces, Winter Heating Payment is not paid only to people when there is a sustained period of cold weather in a specific location, but is a reliable annual £50 payment.

Those eligible for Winter Heating Payment will receive it automatically, with no need to apply. It is paid through Social Security Scotland and people will get a letter to let them know they are eligible.

Minister for Social Security Scotland Ben Macpherson said: “Our new Winter Heating Payment is the thirteenth Scottish Government benefit. This year it will provide 400,000 people most in need with a reliable, automatic £50 payment to help towards their heating costs.

“The Payment will reach significantly more people than the benefit it has replaced. On average only 185,000 people received the equivalent Cold Weather Payments from the UK Government over the last seven years – whereas we will pay everyone eligible every year.

“The Scottish Government is investing around £20 million per year compared with an average of £8.3 million annually paid out through Cold Weather Payment. We will also uprate the next Winter Heating Payment by 10.1%, to £55.05.”