Moray Integration Joint Board (IJB) will consider cost-saving measures to address its £10.2m budget shortfall at a meeting next Thursday (30 May).
Board members will be asked to support proposals for service reform and redesign to deliver £8.3m of in-year savings needed to maintain essential services and ensure high standards of care and support.
Financial challenges are undermining the sustainability of Moray’s health and care system. Demand for services is growing and the cost of delivering services continues to rise. This is not being matched by the funding the IJB receives from its funding partners, Moray Council and NHS Grampian, which are themselves having to make significant budget savings this financial year.
Tracy Colyer, who is Chair of the IJB, said difficult financial decisions must be taken to address the substantial funding gap while safeguarding essential services for those in greatest need.
“This is the most challenging situation we have faced as a board. We have no choice but to give the greatest consideration at next week’s meeting to opportunities to deliver health and care services differently whilst focusing on transformation,” she said.
“The savings proposals are about spending the money we have in the right places to care for and support the people of Moray who need it most. This could bring changes for many people and through open and honest conversations with all stakeholders, including our workforce, we will ensure voices are heard and concerns understood.”
Dennis Robertson, Vice-Chair of the IJB, said: “Like all IJBs, local authorities and NHS boards across the country, we are facing extreme pressures on our budgets due to factors out with our control.
“As board members, we have a responsibility to make decisions which will protect essential services for the people of Moray. The savings proposals will help address our serious and significant funding gap now and help keep the IJB on a sustainable financial footing for the future.”
The IJB governs the work of Health & Social Care Moray, the local partnership responsible for providing a wide range of services in the community for children, families, adults and older people.
Simon Bokor-Ingram, Chief Officer, said Health & Social Care Moray has always been committed to finding new ways of working and to ensuring services run as efficiently as possible. Despite this, the size and scale of the financial challenges means continuing to work in the same way is not a viable option.
Managers have carried out a comprehensive assessment of every service area to identify opportunities for redesign and expenditure reduction, along with any associated risk.
“The savings proposals to be considered by the Board are not put forward lightly. In the face of increasing budget pressures, we are having to look even more closely and critically at every part of our operation and how best to balance demand against the limited resources available to us,” he said.
“Service transformation will support us to manage demand and deliver services as efficiently and effectively as possible so we can continue to achieve high-quality outcomes for the people of Moray.”
The savings proposals, if agreed by the IJB, will be subject to detailed engagement and consultation activities as required with
stakeholders.
The IJB meeting will start at 9.30am with a closed session. The revenue budget and recovery plan 2024/25 will be considered during the public part of the meeting which begins at 11am. The agenda pack is published on the Moray Council website – Moray Integration Joint Board meeting 30 May 2024.
