UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES?

Within days of George Osborne’s Emergency Budget (for that is what it was) problems are starting to become apparent.

Reductions in local authority spending mean that councils will be unable to provide services for the elderly and vulnerable coming out of hospital, in turn meaning that they will bed block. Nigel Edwards, the head of the NHS Confederation, said the pressure on beds could mean that hospitals would be unable to admit patients "who badly need care".

Of course Mr Edwards was doubtless talking about England, but as there is bound to be a consequential, I cannot imagine that the situation will be that different in Scotland, or Wales.

The very well off will be able to be discharged into private nursing homes but, as the cost of beds in such places is prohibitive, in some cases well over £1000 a week, and stays may need to be over several, possibly many weeks, this is out of reach of many people.

So although Mr Osborne’s well intended ring fencing of the NHS budget, was supposed to mean that we could expect no reduction in our health services, it is evident that, should a convalescent person be in a bed, that bed cannot be occupied by the next patient.

You have to wonder if these cuts were quite thought through.

PFI HOSPITALS: THE DEBT THAT KEEPS ON COSTING

The SNP has released figures showing the horrific costs that our NHS will have to repay for Labour’s disastrous PFI. Over £1 billion will be taken out of the health budget in the next five years.

Over the next five years more money will leave the NHS in repayments for the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Wishaw General and Hairmyres Hospitals than the capital cost of the projects themselves – with more payments in years after that as a result of Labour’s PFI and PPP deals.

Between 2010-11 and 2014-15

• NHS Lothian will pay £228 million for Edinburgh’s Royal Infirmary – despite the capital cost of the hospital being only £206 million overall.

• NHS Lanarkshire will pay £136 million for Wishaw General – a project worth £121 million and

• £106 million for Hairmyres, worth only £68 million.

So, when we warned them that this was a completely mad scheme, that the companies which had agreed to be involved in the it were laughing all the way to the bank, and that a 10 year old kid of average intelligence could see that it was madness, we were right.

SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson said:


“These new figures from the Scottish Parliament, based on information from the Treasury show the legacy Labour has left for Scotland.

“Over a billion of repayments in the next five years is a devastating hit to the NHS budget – particularly at a time when budgets will be under increasing pressure as a result of Labour’s economic mismanagement.

“PFI is typical of Labour’s irresponsible buy now, pay later approach to public spending.

“The NHS will pay more to banks in repayments over the next five years for three hospitals than those hospitals are actually worth. That is an example of the profligacy and incompetence that characterised Labour’s financial management and that Scotland’s public services are now paying for.

“After taking out repayment policies like this Labour has no credibility left on public spending and must answer to NHS staff and patients who are left facing up to Labour’s outrageous debts."

Pics of Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Wishaw and Hairmyers Hospitals from the air.