Health cuts: thousands of jobs to go across Scotland

by Malcolm Burns

The NHS in Scotland faces job losses of 5,000 or more as budget pressures mount. Three large health boards, Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Lothian and Tayside reported to the Scottish government in May that thousands of jobs would be cut to make financial savings.

Tam Waterson, Chair of UNISON Scotland's Health Committee said: "We are concerned at the scale of these planned job cuts. The Scottish Government's commitment to ensure no compulsory redundancies is welcome, but it is clear that we face deep cuts which will impact on our vital health services".

Greater Glasgow & Clyde will cut 1,252 full-time jobs over the next year and a half. The proposed cuts include 669 nurses and midwives, 116 support staff and 315 clerical workers. The Board claims these cuts are part of a "programme of modernisation of services".

NHS Lothian, the second biggest board, plans to cut 700 jobs this year and a further 1,300 next year. Tayside will cut around 500 whole-time equivalent jobs over the next 12 months. The Board claims that standards will not be compromised and front-line staff will not be "jeopardised."

If all the other health boards follow suit, over 5,000 jobs would be lost across the NHS in Scotland by the end of 2011.

The NHS Scotland requires to save £270 million in the current financial year to balance the books following a tight Scottish budget settlement in February.

Meanwhile the health service faces rising inflation and increased demand.

Further pressure on funding is likely after the new coalition government at Westminster implements its emergency budget in June.

The £6bn immediate cuts to UK public spending promised by the Tories during the election and now agreed by the LibDems will have inevitable knock-on effects in Scotland.

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