Aberdeenshire health bosses have already sent out feelers to private providers as they aim to save millions by drastically cutting back on care costs.
A bombshell report last month outlined a shock savings plan that would reduce the Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership’s offering across the board.
Scores of charges will be increased, care homes and community hospitals are coming “under review” and an unknown number of care staff could be cut.
The move has been met with outcry from workers left facing the prospect of redundancy and families who fear the consequences of the changes.
What will happen next?
The AHSCP’s board will meet for their next round of talks on Wednesday, March 19.
Papers published online ahead of the meeting offer some insight into the latest happenings within the cash-strapped body.
It comes after we revealed that the fate of hundreds of home and emergency carers across Aberdeenshire will be decided within months.
Home care and the Aberdeenshire Responders for Care at Home (Arch) service are to be “redesigned”, with the latter due to be reduced by 70%.
There are 135 “emergency carers” who react to alarm calls or incidents of “immediate and critical risk” 24 hours a day, along with 26 coordinators and three managers.
This is on top of 443 publicly-funded home carers, with another 53 coordinators and three managers – bringing the total number of staff under that umbrella to 663.
Health bosses now insist the savings needed “can only be achieved by significantly reducing service priorities”…
Could carers be privatised?
A “redesign workshop” was staged on March 7, for health bosses to “gain the views” of staff representatives on the future direction of the services.
And this new report, signed off by chief officer Pamela Milliken, explains that “community engagement” on the home care and Arch cuts got under way on Monday, March 10.
These sessions will “gather feedback” on what local people would like to see prioritised as the savings scheme takes shape.
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Event to secure suppliers set for April
Documents also confirm that something called a “prior information notice” has already been sent out to “independent sector providers”.
These notices are used to alert potential operators of the chance to supply their services to bodies such as the AHSCP.
Ms Milliken‘s report says this will “gauge interest in alternative service provision”.
The firms who have been approached have until March 28 to respond stating their level of interest.
After that, an “engagement event” for these independent providers will be held on April 17.
This will “assist with determining the capability and willingness of providers to extend their service provision”.
Board members will debate this, and many other aspects of the savings plan, next week.
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