Shetland MSP Tavish Scott has clashed with the Scottish health secretary over funding for the islands’ health board.
Figures from independent Scottish Parliament researchers showed NHS Shetland’s allocation was still 2% below the target as laid out by the funding formula.
In the Scottish Parliament yesterday Mr Scott asked why the health board was being short-changed.
Health Secretary Shona Robison said the board’s budget for 2015-16 was being increased by 3.1% – “substantially above inflation” – following an increase of 2.4% the previous year.
She said as part of the budget-setting process for 2016-17, the government would maintain is commitment to ensuring that no board is further than 1% from NRAC (National Resource Allocation Committee) parity and as part of that process extra funding would be provided to any board that fall short.
Mr Scott asked if that meant Ms Robison would find ways of improving NHS Shetland’s financial position in the new financial year.
“It appears from the figures that she has produced that the board is 2.1%, rather than 1%, away from NRAC parity,” he said.
“As she knows, that means that the funding that is coming to NHS Shetland is £900,000 less than should otherwise be the case. Will she recognise that, given the staff vacancies in a number of key areas, those additional resources would be very welcome?”
Ms Robison said: “As I have said, the resource that NHS Shetland is getting has increased by 5.9% in real terms. Tavish Scott will be aware that that record level of investment in NHS Shetland has helped to increase its staffing level by more than 20% cent under this government, to a record high.”