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£50 million to build Scottish Ambulance Service
capacity
A £50 million funding boost for Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS)
recruitment and up to £12 million to expand Hospital at Home are
among measures to support the health and care system this winter.
The Scottish Government and COSLA’s joint Winter Plan, published
today, identifies new funding for SAS to support work already
underway to recruit a further 317 frontline staff to help
increase capacity to emergency response. It will also see 18
additional clinicians working in the call centre hub who, through
additional triage, can offer patients alternative treatment
routes in cases which are not time-critical, reducing the number
of hospital admissions.
The expansion of Hospital at Home, which enables people to be
treated at home rather than on a ward, is intended to deliver at
least 380 additional beds this winter – significantly increasing
the total service capacity.
The Scottish Government has been working closely with COSLA,
Health and Social Care Partnerships, and NHS Boards on a number
of further measures to ensure they are prepared for the winter
period. This includes a Delayed Discharge Action Plan and
improvements to the reporting of data to better identify specific
areas for further support or escalation.
Health Secretary said:
“Our highly skilled and committed workforce are the cornerstone
of our response every winter, both in health and social care. I
am extremely grateful for their continued hard work and
dedication in the face of sustained pressure. As we approach the
Winter period their efforts will be vital in ensuring we deliver
high quality care for the public.
“We are in no doubt that this winter will be extremely
challenging for our health and social care system. Our Winter
plan builds on the lessons we have learned from previous years
and preparations have been on-going since spring. Our whole
system approach is based on ensuring people can access the care
that is right for them – at the right time and in the right
place.
“Our additional investment of up to £12 million to expand the
Hospital at Home service will allow people, especially elderly
patients, patients with respiratory conditions and children, to
receive treatments in the comfort of their own home and will
crucially help reduce pressure on our A&E departments this
winter.
“As a result our significant investment of over £15 million, an
additional 1,000 nurses, midwives and Allied Health Professional
from overseas have joined NHS Scotland in the last two years to
bolster our existing workforce this winter. Our £50 million
funding boost for the Scottish Ambulance Service will also help
tackle increased demand and support on-going recruitment to drive
up capacity for emergency response. This investment will also
help reduce the need for people to go to hospital which is a key
part of our approach this winter.”
Cllr Paul Kelly, COSLA’s Health and Social Care Spokesperson
said:
“As key partners in ensuring people and communities are safe and
cared for over the winter period, and indeed throughout the year,
local authorities have a vital role in enabling people to
continue to safely access the care and support they need when
they need it. We expect the winter to be a very challenging
period across the whole health and social care system at a time
when the system is already experiencing significant demand
pressures and challenges with recruitment and retention. That is
why COSLA have worked closely with Scottish Government in
producing this plan, recognising the importance of the
integration of health and social care, and the clear leadership
role of Local Government in doing everything we can to maximise
capacity across health, social care, and social work, and ensure
people get safe and timely access to services during peak winter
pressures.”
Background
The Scottish Government’s Winter Plan Health and Social Care
Winter Preparedness Plan 2023/24 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
has been developed jointly with COSLA.
Right Care Right Place
Hospital at Home enables people to receive treatments that would
otherwise require them to be admitted to hospital, such as an
intravenous drip or oxygen supply. It also provides access to
hospital tests under the care of a consultant in their own home.
The purpose of the service is to reduce hospital admissions by
providing treatments in the comfort and familiarity of their own
home. The expansion is funded from Barnett consequentials
announced by the UK Government in September.
A record number of additional staff have been recruited to the
Scottish Ambulance Service in the last three years with 1,388
people joining the service since 2020.
