A Member of the Fife Health & Social Care Board has written to the Health Secretary, Humza Yousaf MSP, urging him to allow over £20m of Covid money due to be returned to the Scottish Government to be spent addressing the current health crisis in the Kingdom
Cllr. Graeme Downie (Lab, West Fife & Coastal Villages) who sits on the Fife Integrated Joint Board (IJB) says it is a scandal the organisation is being told to return £20m of money allocated to addressing Covid rather than spend it on addressing social care and health issues in Fife.
The call comes as the Health Secretary and the First Minister stated this week that Covid is one of the major factors behind the current crisis facing the Scottish NHS.
Cllr. Downie says he has raised the issue at previous meetings of the IJB as and feels their hands are being tied by the SNP Scottish Government in Edinburgh.
He has pointed out that figures show clear future costs of Covid in the coming years in Fife and believes Edinburgh is grabbing money that should be spent on improving services locally.
Commenting, Cllr. Downie, Scottish Labour Councillor for West Fife & Coastal Villages said:
“Fife health and social care services are facing a crisis, we are seeing it every day in the news and our own experiences of friends and family.”
“The Health Secretary says Covid is one of the causes of the problems yet the SNP Scottish Government is taking back over £20m of money allocated for Covid spend in Fife. That is a scandal when that money could be used now to help address some of the problems Covid is still causing in our health services.”
“Surely it is common sense to allow Fife Health & Social Care Partnership to spend that money now to help address the current problems we are facing.”
“For example, why not use that money to hire short-term staff to deal with the challenges Covid still presents, at least helping prevent burnout of current staff and give them help they deserve?”
“The crisis we are facing is partly caused by Covid and winter health pressures but doctors and health staff will tell you that those pressures are merely bringing to light structural problems that already existed.”