Budget economies in health 'a huge challenge'

The chief executive of the Eastern Health and Social Services Board, Dr Paula Kilbane, has said there is concern about the impact of delivering the £300 million worth of cash savings promised in the Executive’s draft budget.

This will be a huge challenge given that:

• we don’t yet know what commissioning process will be in place in Years 2 and 3;
• we are expecting newly merged organisations who are still working their way through the rationalisation process to take on huge savings.

She told a meeting of the Eastern Health and Social Services Council in January that the economies are approximately £80 million for the Belfast Trust and around £40 million for the South Eastern Trust. These savings are in addition to the £53 million savings that are to be made as a result of the Review of Public administration (RPA).

Since the January meeting the final budget has confirmed that the DHSSPS has a target to find ‘cash releasing efficiencies’ of £118 million, £233m and £344m over the next three years.

Dr Kilbane confirmed that the £53 million that is to be saved under RPA is from administration and management jobs. She explained that since the Minister decided to review RPA decisions no further staffing positions have been filled and people appointed to the proposed Health Authority in a designate role have not been stood down out of their positions.

The minutes record her as saying that the EHSSB is finding it extremely difficult to function and that there are currently 60 vacancies, with quite a number at director level.

In response to a comment from a Council member, Dr Kilbane said that a number of staff already appointed in a designate capacity to the Health Authority, or who are in post in an organisation affected by the RPA, are opting to seek employment elsewhere which is resulting in a loss of valuable knowledge and skills.