Chamber and committees

The Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review Body published their Review of Compensation Levels, Incentives and the Clinical Excellence and Distinction Award schemes for NHS Consultants on 17 December 2012. The report can be viewed at the Office of Manpower Economics website via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/229710/DDRB_CEA_Cm_8518__3_.pdf

Any review of these awards will form part of the Scottish Government’s consideration of how we move towards the delivery of person centred health provision and will be undertaken in the context of the on-going work on the 2020 Workforce Vision and the delivery of seven day services.

As detailed in the reply to S4W-24058 on 26 January 2015, the Scottish Government is considering ways of how best to achieve a fairer balance of remuneration for NHS consultants while delivering on sustainability and seven day services.

In the meantime pay package comparisons between NHS Scotland and England show that we offer a competitive package in Scotland based on broadly UK wide terms and conditions of service, and consultant pay in Scotland can be up to £1,000 higher in Scotland than in England. In addition, we also offer job security with our no compulsory redundancy policy which remains in place until 2016.

While the distinction award scheme for consultants in NHSScotland is currently frozen with no new awards being granted, consultants already in receipt of an award, at any level, still continue to receive that award but are unable to be considered for further progression.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The Scottish Government has submitted two remit letters to the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review Body. Firstly on recommendations for pay for 2015-16 in October 2014, and secondly on contract reform for doctors and dentists in training in December 2014. These letters are in the public domain and have been published via the Office of Manpower Economics website at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-of-manpower-economics

In 2013-14 NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) received more than 100 additional allocations from the Scottish Government worth £108.1 million. Throughout the course of the year, NSS and the Scottish Government meet regularly to discuss their funding assumptions and to agree what services should be provided. There were no services reduced by NSS in 2013-14 as a result of funding arrangements being agreed late.

NHS National Services Scotland has no role in relation to the proposed additional powers for the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate (HEI), which were announced following the report on the Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry. We do not therefore plan to provide additional funding to them.

The Scottish Government has fully accepted the 75 recommendations outlined in the Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry report, including the recommendation to provide the HEI with further powers to close wards.

In consultation with key stakeholders, we are currently looking at how the legislative process around ward closures might be taken forward and whether further funding may be required to provide additional enforcement powers to Healthcare Improvement Scotland which has responsibility for the HEI.

Details are as follows:

The Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) is issued by Scottish Ministers to provide guidance to the Scottish Government and other relevant bodies (which include NHS boards) on the proper handling and reporting of public funds. It sets out the relevant statutory, parliamentary and administrative requirements, emphasises the need for economy, efficiency and effectiveness, and promotes good practice and high standards of propriety.

The Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000 (PFA Act), which is framed in resource terms sets out the rules for spending money, accounting requirements, accountability of officials and auditing arrangements. The basic principle is that spending can take place only if authorised by the Parliament in budget acts and must not exceed any amount so authorised in relation to that purpose.

Following on from the above, NHS boards have a statutory requirement to break even on their revenue and capital budgets during each fiscal year. The Scottish Government expects NHS boards to submit financial plans annually, these plans cover a minimum period of three years. Within these plans, boards have the opportunity to apply for additional funding in the form of brokerage or carry forward of a planned surplus. This offers boards the flexibility to manage their financial position across years whilst remaining within the requirements of the SPFM and the PFA Act.

The draft budget 2014-15 set out an indicative spending allocation for 2015-16 of £64.4 million. The draft budget for 2015-16 reflects the following movements:

£3.3 million was transferred to the Commonwealth Games, Sport, Equalities and Pensioners’ Rights portfolio.

The Keep Well budget has been reduced by £4.1 million, from £11.1 million to £7 million, however this change in spend will be offset by investment in integrated partnerships whose actions will help drive the shift towards prevention.

Food and Health has been reduced by £1.2 million, from £2.5 million to £1.3 million, and this is due to a transfer of recurring spend for the Healthy Living Award and Community Food and Health (Scotland) to NHS Health Scotland.

Grants to voluntary bodies has been reduced by £0.2 million, from £1.5 million to £1.3 million, due to a permanent transfer to Justice.

These changes reflect either budget transfers or are offset by investment elsewhere. Therefore there is no overall reduction in spending levels.

The Scottish Government has provided brokerage and received as follows:

(a) NHS Fife

(b) NHS Tayside

(c) NHS Orkney

(d) NHS 24

Savings information has not been specifically gathered on this. Connections between Scottish Care Information stores and access for clinicians have been established as a matter of course as each clinical pathway need has been identified. The Scottish Government is about to publish a significantly refreshed version of the eHealth Strategy 2011-2017. The associated plan to deliver the aims of the strategy identifies activity that will be undertaken locally, regionally and nationally to provide more comprehensive access to information including test results.