NHS Shetland gets funding increase in line with expectations

Funding of £36.8 million has been awarded to NHS Shetland from the Scottish government for the year 2010-11. The allocation was announced in the Scottish Parliament by health secretary Nicola Sturgeon on Thursday.

The money is part of Scotland’s NHS revenue funding allocations, and Shetland’s funding represents an increase of 2.55 per cent, which the minister wrongly claimed was above inflation – inflation is currently 3.5 per cent.

Ms Sturgeon said that revenue funding for NHS boards will rise to a record £8.464 billion, with the extra money being given to prioritise spending on frontline services.

Each territorial board will receive, as a minimum, an increase of 2.55 per cent while some boards (NHS Fife, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Grampian, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Lothian and NHS Orkney) will receive higher increases to take account of health needs with regard to changes in population and deprivation levels.

Area allocations are worked out by a formula taking into account factors including population, the age and sex breakdown of that population and levels of deprivation. All boards are required to make two per cent efficiency savings, which they keep to re-invest in frontline services.

NHS special boards, like the Scottish Ambulance Service and NHS 24, will receive an increase of 2.15 per cent.

Chief executive of NHS Shetland Sandra Laurenson said: “The allocation is what we were expecting. We are pleased to have confirmation and are still working out the detail of next year’s budget.”