NHS bosses in Fife have spent nearly £17,000 on iPads while patients are being denied incontinence pads.
A freedom of information request has revealed the health board purchased 37 iPads last year. It comes just days after it was claimed soaring prescription costs have led to NHS Fife bosses to ration vital supplies for elderly patients, including incontinence pads.
Fife councillor Andrew Rodger claimed patients who need six incontinence pads a day were only being given four in a bid to save money.
Patients were told they could phone to have more delivered if they ran out, but Mr Rodger said this would prove to be more expensive once the additional delivery costs are taken into account.
Now it has emerged the cost-cutting exercise comes after managers spent £16,680 in 2011-12 on 37 tablet computers.
Margaret Watt, chairwoman of the Scottish Patients Association, said the decision to purchase the iPads was ”totally unacceptable” when the health board is rationing supplies to elderly patients.
She said: ”How dare they humiliate patients like that? It is immoral, inhumane and they are without compassion or understanding.
”The people in charge of the health board are in the wrong job. It is totally wrong to buy these iPads that they don’t need. What happened to pen and pencil?
”We all have to move forward but not at the expense of our patients. It just beggars belief.”
Chris Bowring, NHS Fife director of finance and lead for eHealth, said the devices allow nursing teams to access data while visiting patients.
A number of programmes, such as medical reference guides, can be downloaded for iPads and iPhones.
He said: ”Of the 37 devices we have purchased, 33 are used by our community-based nursing teams. The devices have been chosen for their functionality and mobility, and allow teams to access appropriate information and data easily and securely while visiting patients, without the need to return to the office base.
”Our eHealth team are also working with four of the oldest generation iPads to further explore their use and functionality.”
Photo by Tim Ireland/PA Archive