Current status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, following the Parliament's agreement of the Scottish Budget in each of the last five years, on what date NHS boards (a) were advised of their individual budget allocations and (b) received their settlement for the next year.
a) NHS Boards are informed of their individual baseline funding on the day of the Scottish Budget announcement. In the last five years, this has been:
2020-21 – 6 February 2020
2021-22 – 28 January 2021
2022-23 – 9 December 2021
2023-24 – 15 December 2022
2024-25 – 19 December 2023
b) Baseline funding is further supplemented by Scottish Government directorate funding allocations throughout each financial year, to arrive at the NHS Board revenue resource limits (RRL). NHS Boards draw cash from the Scottish Government throughout the year as required, based on the value of their RRL.
In year changes can happen depending on in year consequentials received from UK decision making. This uncertainty on funding makes it difficult to have long term financial planning for the Scottish Government, boards and our other partners including community and voluntary sector organisations.