Fife’s councillors have clashed over cuts to the region’s health service as a motion calling for a review of funding needed to run NHS Fife was voted through.
Members of the Labour administration urged the Scottish Government to immediately look again at how the local health service is costed amid claims that NHS Fife will have to save £30 million from its budget this year to balance the books.
But while Labour’s motion suggested that slashing the budget by that figure would be “devastating” for an already under pressure health service, SNP councillors branded the motion “scurrilous” and called on the council to recognise the Scottish Government’s investment in the NHS.
Labour councillor Helen Law’s motion was agreed in favour of the SNP’s amendment after a vote ended 39-22, although it is unlikely to be the end of the debate.
Health chiefs warned last month of major design and transformation of services as they attempt to trim 5% from the overall £604 million budget, with areas being looked at ranging from job cuts and reductions in beds to reviews of linen, café, catering and security.
With that in mind, Mrs Law described the NHS as the “jewel in the crown” but stressed that patients in Fife have been disadvantaged for years because NHS Fife has been “consistently under-funded”.
“While £16 million has been awarded this year for specific areas, the further cut of £30 million is totally unacceptable,” she added.
“The budget for NHS Fife must be capable of delivering an acceptable and safe level of service for the people of Fife. No ifs, no buts, no cuts.”
Council leader David Ross added it had come as a “shock” to learn of the scale of the cuts mooted and said he had “real concerns” they would “seriously compromise” the ability to deliver changes needed in health and social care in Fife.
However, SNP councillor Neale Hanvey dismissed the Labour motion as “indefensible”, “scurrilous” and “inaccurate”, and called on the council restate its commitment to work with partners to provide a service “fit for the future and truly fit for Fife”.
“We have made a commitment to modernise and reshape services and health and social care services are going through extraordinary change,” he said.
“Developing these new models of care will be challenging but it’s absolutely necessary.”
His colleague David Alexander suggested Labour had hit an “all-time low” and has issued “twisted statements that bear no relation to reality”.
“We should be welcoming year-on-year funding increases and rejecting any notion that the NHS is not safe,” he continued.
Meanwhile, prior to the meeting, “they say cut back, we say fight back” was the cry outside Fife House as unions and activists lobbied councillors on their way in.
Wilma Brown, from Unison, said there was a feeling among staff that £30 million worth of cuts would be insurmountable.
“We’re really concerned that these cuts, these “savings” as they are dressed up to be, are really going to have an impact on how the staff are going to be able to deliver the excellent service that we do, and for the impact it has on the patients,” she stressed.
“Waiting lists will go up, people will be suffering more – the things that we’ve fought in the past year to prevent.”