NHS Fife predicts it will need a significant financial bailout from the Scottish Government to break even this financial year.
The board’s overspend has soared to almost £16m, from £10.9 million in September, despite a commitment to cut costs and avoid investment.
One of the key reasons is the cost of bringing in additional medical and nursing staff to help cope with the ever-increasing demand on services.
And covering a high level of staff absence – much of which is mental health-related – is adding to the financial pressure.
It comes as more people wait longer for appointments and treatment.
Waits of more than 78 weeks for a routine first outpatient appointment are not uncommon.
And one person has reportedly been waiting more than two years.
NHS Fife is not the only board facing pressures, with other areas reporting similar positions.
North East Fife MSP Willie Rennie described the situation as “increasingly alarming”.
Significant demands on health service since covid
Mr Rennie called on the health secretary to help protect Fife’s frontline health services just 10 days ago.
And the Liberal Democrat MSP has pledged to keep pursuing the issue until he gets an answer.
He said significant demands following the covid pandemic, combined with service cuts means people are already feeling the impact.
“A majority of people are not being treated within the so-called guaranteed times,” he said.
“The high staff sickness rates, mainly from poor mental health, is a symptom of the strain staff are under.
“And this adds further to frontline service pressures and also to the costs of finding replacement staff.
“Just this week I asked the finance secretary if she would step in to help the financial position in Fife before it impacted further on frontline services.
“Unfortunately, she refused to provide an answer so I will pursue this further with the SNP Government.”
NHS Fife overspend situation will continue to deteriorate without extra funding
A report by NHS Fife finance director Margo McGurk will be presented to the board next week.
She says demand on services is outstripping capacity and, as waiting times increase, more patients are being assessed as urgent.
And she predicts the situation will continue to deteriorate without additional funding.
Ms McGurk adds: “Despite ongoing attempts to reduce costs and a commitment to avoid any additional investment in our services, it is highly likely the board will require significant financial brokerage to break even.”
Brokerage is described as advance funding from the Scottish Government which usually has to be repaid.
Scottish Government ‘working with NHS Fife to ease pressures’
The Scottish Government says it recognises the scale of financial challenges facing NHS boards.
It has set up workstreams to help health and social care bodies and is monitoring financial performance.
“NHS Fife, among other health boards, is receiving targeted support to assess measures to reduce their reported financial pressures,” a spokesperson said.
“In addition, to address capacity challenges and reduce delayed discharges, NHS Fife will receive a share of £12m to expand Hospital at Home.
“Work is ongoing with the board to identify the greatest opportunities in terms of increasing capacity to ease system pressures and improve patient care over winter.”
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