Financial warning to three NHS boards

Three health boards have been cautioned about their finances in a new report by Scotland’s Auditor General.

The 2014/15 accounts for NHS 24, NHS Tayside and NHS Highland have been raised by Auditor General for Scotland Caroline Gardner.

NHS Tayside relied on a Scottish Government loan to balance its books for the third year in a row, largely due to overspends on workforce and primary care prescribing, backdated holiday pay, and difficulties in selling surplus properties.

NHS24’s new IT system has gone so over budget it “risks to the board's ability to meet its financial targets in future years,” according to the report. The estimated cost of the new system is now £117.4m, 55 per cent higher than the original estimate of £75.8m. It has been delayed from 2013 to October this year.

NHS Highland, which saw a critical report from the auditor last year, “has strengthened its financial management arrangements but more needs to be done to develop longer-term financial planning and reduce reliance on non-recurring savings,” the report says.

Scottish Labour’s  Equalities Spokesperson Jenny Marra said the Government should consider special measures for NHS Tayside.

“The SNP are quick to take credit for their health policies but they are clearly failing to give our doctors and nurses the funds they need to deliver them.

“We know that the problems in NHS Tayside are mirrored all over the country but the SNP Government is really struggling to explain how they will protect our NHS and have no plan to help save it from the cuts that their policies have created,” she said.