Reinvesting in Local NHS Services
Written by Kevin Rennie on January 22, 2014
Offering treatment at home contributes to saving of £7.8 million.
Over £7.8 million has been ploughed back into frontline services in NHS Fife as the board exceeded their efficiency targets of three per cent in 2012/13.
The savings, outlined in the Quality and Efficiency Support Team Annual Report, published this week, are made from a range of measures, including reducing bureaucracy and improving practices to free up time for patient care.
One example from the report is a saving initiative piloted by NHS Fife which has seen more than £0.6 million to be ploughed back into frontline health services across the country.
By testing the use of portable oxygen cylinders the health board allowed more patients to use the cylinders in the comfort of their own home and showed potential savings as a result.
When the successful pilot was rolled out to other health boards in 2012/13 it brought about a saving of £600,000 for NHSScotland.
It is part of the £1.1 billion which has been ploughed back into frontline service through efficiency savings in NHSScotland, over the last five years.
Health Secretary Alex Neil said:
“Our priority is to deliver the highest standards of care for patients today and a more sustainable NHS for patients in the future.
“This report shows us that NHS Boards, such as Dumfries & Galloway, are continuing to find new and innovative ways to save money to reinvest in frontline services – where it is needed most.
“We would all prefer to be treated in our own home if possible. By leading this pilot Dumfries & Galloway have been able to deliver real change for patients right across the country.
“While we are striving to become more efficient with taxpayers’ money we remain committed to protecting spending on health, and our latest £12.1 billion resource budget reflects a funding increase in real terms for both 2014-15 and 2015-16.
“In addition to this our NHS has a long term plan for improving both the quality of care and Scotland’s public health record while still protecting its financial future.”
The NHS Efficiency and Productivity Framework sets out areas where NHS boards are expected to achieve efficiencies, emphasising the need for innovative ways to remove waste, improve quality and streamline services.
