Fife health cuts: these care packages are being cut in recovery plan decided in private

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Funding for care packages could be cut and new respite provision chopped in half in £21m of cuts decided in private by health bosses in Fife.

Fife Health and Social Care Partnership met this morning behind closed doors to thrash out a package of measures in its recovery plan.

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Fiona McKay, interim director: “Difficult decisions have had to be made,, but we are very clear that despite the challenging financial position we face, those people at significant risk or who have a significant need in Fife will still get the help they need.”

The recovery plan includes moving staff around the organisation to reduce the Partnership’s £18m annual agency and bank staff bill - and that could mean that “less critical functions will be reduced in the short term. “

Funding for care packages could be cut and respite provision chopped in half (Pic: sabinevanerp/Pixabay)Funding for care packages could be cut and respite provision chopped in half (Pic: sabinevanerp/Pixabay)
Funding for care packages could be cut and respite provision chopped in half (Pic: sabinevanerp/Pixabay)

Cutting respite provision from six to three weeks for new allocations will save approximately £2 million. The reduction - unless in exceptional circumstances where decisions will made on a case to case basis - will be in place until March 2025. The threshold for accessing social work service will also be raised to save £5million, and assessments reviewed and prioritised with a focus on the most vulnerable and those most in need.

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“This will mean funding for some packages of care will reduce,” the partnership said.

The recovery plan was ‘agreed in principle’ by the IJB in September, but senior leaders asked for more detailed information before making a final decision about the cuts. That was given in private today and a press release was published afterward with information.

Added Ms McKay: “The plan agreed today … is the result of a tremendous amount of hard work, robust governance and working together with partners, trade unions and staff side colleagues.

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“It is important to highlight, despite the fact this plan is about bringing the budget back in line, we are also putting in systems to maintain quality and person safety, providing consistent sets of escalation, triggers and protocols too.”

Anyone affected by the approved changes or reviews will be contacted by the Partnership in the coming weeks.

Ms McKay added: “Although work needs to happen at pace, we will not do so without communicating with people and our staff first.”

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