Scrapping respite care regarded as a lifeline were considered as further cuts loom in Fife’s cash-strapped health and social care service.
Carers who dedicate their lives to looking after highly-dependent loved-ones may have faced scrapping holidays or breaks had the proposal been rubber stamped.
Some £100,000 would have been saved by ceasing planned respite provision for adults from January to March next year, but it was decided the cost to families affected would be too great.
However, further savings proposals are being developed by Fife Health and Social Care Partnership as it battles to rein in a forecast deficit of over £10 million.
They include increasing charges for social care, transport charges, increased day centre charges and outsourcing of some social work and meals-on-wheels.
The partnership’s integrated joint board unanimously rejected the three-month cancellation of respite care, which they were told could cause break downs in people’s home circumstances, increased stress and more emergency respite.
Board member Moira Adams said: “We are talking about people who volunteer to look after friends and relatives.
“The respite they are offered could be the one thing that is stopping carers tipping over the edge.”
She said that carers often said getting one night’s sleep a week kept them going and that withdrawal of that break was a serious proposition to those it would hit.
The board was told of further savings proposals in the pipeline for 2019/20 and warned that members faced making tough choices.
Chair Simon Little said the partnership was riding a tidal wave, with many factors outside its control, including the actions of drug companies, the Scottish Government and demographic changes.
He told members: “There are going to be consequences, whether it is proposals to increase charges or reduce services, and it is this board which will be charged with deciding on that.
“You are going to have make some decisions which will be unpopular and which will affect the quality of care and people may be unhappy with that.”
Board member Martin Black described the financial position as “frightening” and Councillor Tim Brett said: “It’s always going to be difficult and it’s going to get worse.
“There are people who may not get the service and that’s a worry.
“There are people who are better off and they will go and purchase the service but we should be concerned about the people who are unable to do that.
“All we can do is try to ensure that we use everything we have got in the best possible way.”
GP prescribing, home care and the out-of-hours GP service were the key areas of overspend.
The partnership also faces pressure from unfunded pay rises for council staff, costing around £3m annually, unfunded sleep over rates of £1.2m, volatility of drug costs and ever growing demand from an ageing popular.
Covering sick and absent staff costs around £27m a year and last year £5.6m was spent on locums and agency staff.
