| But the minister has rejected a plea for extra cash to ensure that the authority — which spends around £2million every day — does not have to impose a jobs freeze.
It emerged last month that management were involved in private talks with staff representatives to discuss pay budgets.
The organisation denied it was facing a jobs freeze, but Dundee-based MSP Marlyn Glen wrote to Ms Sturgeon asking if additional funding to prevent such an eventuality could be made available.
However, the health secretary would only say that throughout the course of the year, additional funding would be “allocated to boards for specific projects and initiatives such as smoking cessation, alcohol services and reduction in waiting times.”
Ms Glen said the negotiations between NHS Tayside and its staff representatives had arisen because the Scottish Government had instructed NHS Tayside to find £35million from its budget in efficiency savings over the next three years.
“In addition, the new formula to be introduced by the Scottish Government next year will see a further unnecessary cut in NHS Tayside’s share of the revenues allocated to health boards,” she said.
Ms Sturgeon argued that no board will receive less than it does at present as a result of the implementation of the new NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee formula.
“The formula will be phased in over a number of years,” she said.
“You are correct that NHS Tayside, along with other health boards, is required to find 2% efficiency savings over the next three years which, in the case of NHS Tayside, equates to £35million.
“While it is a challenging target, these savings are retained locally by the board to allow them to reinvest in local services at their own discretion.
“NHS boards are allocated resources based on the relative needs of their resident population and that is reflected in their baseline funding.”
Nearly three-quarters of NHS Tayside’s total budget goes on pay.
Previous attempts to save money by placing controls on recruitment have caused outcry at the effect on frontline staff.
Ms Glen said, “While the health secretary admits that demanding that NHS Tayside find ‘efficiency savings’ of £35 million is a “challenging target’, she fails to demonstrate how these savings will not harm the quality of patient care.
“Leaving unfilled posts vacant would be one detrimental consequence of the drive for savings.” |
