Comment / Scotland funding increases

Scottish health boards will receive additional revenue of £720m in 2014/15, said cabinet secretary for health and wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon (right).

As the Scottish government announced its budget plans, she said the health budget would be £11.6bn in 2012/13, meeting the government’s promise to pass on health spending rises in England to the NHS in Scotland (the Barnett consequentials).

‘This will enable boards to deliver on shorter waiting times, reducing hospital infections and improving detection of cancer,’ Ms Sturgeon said. ‘These budget allocations will support services and initiatives to help people in Scotland live longer, healthier lives with reduced health inequalities.’

The government’s priorities include the delivery of the 18-week referral to treatment waiting time target and the continuance of the change fund – rising to £80m to allow health boards and local authorities to redesign services and shift provision to primary and community settings. ?

Territorial health boards will receive real terms increases  – 2.9% in 2012/13, 3.3% in 2013/14, 3.1% in 2014/15. The final two years are indicative figures and will change as final funding allocations are calculated according to the NHS resource funding formula. This will be updated this financial year, with a provision for moving towards parity in the NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee baseline formula.

Following the 36% drop in UK capital spending, Scottish NHS capital spending will fall. But the government has committed to more than £2bn of capital spending on projects such as the Southern General, a replacement for the Edinburgh Royal Victoria Hospital and an emergency care centre in Aberdeen.