Press release: Audit Scotland report reflects realities of NHS boards financial pressures

20 Dec 2004

The Scottish NHS Confederation has welcomed Audit Scotland's latest financial overview of NHS Scotland as an accurate representation of the financial challenges that are still being faced by NHS boards, despite increased health service funding.

The Confederation's Director, Hilary Robertson said: "Audit Scotland's financial overview of NHS Scotland in 2003/04 is a welcome acknowledgement of the considerable competing demands on NHS boards' resources, such as pay modernisation, increased pension costs and the rising cost of prescribing.  As a result of these advance commitments, boards' financial allocations are largely already accounted for by the time they reach them, leaving only limited room for local service expansion despite the record spending on the NHS."

Ms Robertson continued: "During 2003/04 the NHS in Scotland has gone through structural change and embarked on an ambitious programme of pay modernisation, designed to deliver long-term benefits for patients.  We note the report's emphasis on better long term financial planning at local and national level and improved service and workforce planning.  We also note, however, that the report finds that local financial planning is hampered by some actions of the Scottish Executive Health Department, such as late allocations of ring-fenced money, and we hope that the Department will work with the service to rectify these issues wherever possible."

"Despite the financial challenges that they face in delivering major change and implementing national agreements, however, NHS boards are continuing to work hard to meet the expectations of patients and public and deliver services that are second to none."

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Notes for editors

The Scottish NHS Confederation is an independent membership body representing the majority of Scotland's NHS boards and special health boards.  We are committed to improving health policy and practice.

Contact details

For further information contact: Donald Crichton on 01786 434943 or 07775582123

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