Agenda item

8.1       Mrs Hazel Robertson provided an overview of the content of the report and advised that there was a projected outturn adverse variant of £6.7m which was a slight improvement compared to the same period the previous year.  She commented that there had been little progress on savings targets in the partnership and the forecast position included projections for COVID-19.  Any remaining unspent COVID-19 funding would be carried forward in the reserves with the caveat that the Scottish Government might ask for its return.  In practice if at the end of the year the partnership was in an overspent situation then additional contributions would be sought from the partner bodies in line with the Scheme of Integration. 

8.2       Mrs Robertson further advised that the set aside budgets remained under pressure and the annual audit from 2021/22 had highlighted that the partnership were not complying with the guidance on how to deal with set aside budgets.  Discussions were being held with NHS Borders on how to implement that guidance more fully.

8.3       In regard to the financial position Mrs Robertson advised that she would be using a programme budgeting marginal analysis methodology in the future to look at individual pieces of investment and make comparisons to identify those that would provide the most benefit to the partnership in terms of the strategic planning approach.

8.4       The Chair enquired about a timescale for the new approach to be taken and Mrs Robertson commented that it would be taken forward as part of the strategic commissioning planning process to cover that 3 year period. 

8.5       Mr Tris Taylor welcomed the refresh of the report that would make it more meaningful and engaging and he welcomed a more explicit visibility of carers act funds and also enquired if the risk was recorded that the partners might expect repayment of any additional monies they might have to provide to the IJB.  Mrs Robertson advised that the Scheme of Integration was clear that any additional monies provide by the partner bodies could be subject to payback and that was a risk that was carried until such point as the partnership operated within its funding limits.

8.6       In regard to the carers funds, Mrs Robertson advised that she was pulling together a presentation for the next Carers Group meeting to show how the Carers Act funding had been utilised over the past number of years and she would subsequently share that with the IJB for information.

The HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE INTEGRATION JOINT BOARD noted the forecast adverse variance of (£6.740m) for the H&SCP delegated services for the year to 31 March 2023 based on available information.  

The HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE INTEGRATION JOINT BOARD noted that the forecast position includes costs relating to mobilising and remobilising in respect of Covid-19, and assumes that all such costs will be funded via Scottish Government monies held in the earmarked reserve.

The HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE INTEGRATION JOINT BOARD noted that a recovery plan is in development and that any expenditure in excess of delegated budgets in 2022/23 will require to be funded by additional contributions from the partners in line with the Scheme of Integration.  Previously, additional contributions have not been repayable.

The HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE INTEGRATION JOINT BOARD noted that set aside budgets continue to be under significant pressure as a result of activity levels, flow and delayed discharges.

The HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE INTEGRATION JOINT BOARD agreed the importance of ensuring that the strategic commissioning and planning process currently in progress is used to identify options for change which will improve the long term financial sustainability of the partnership whilst at the same time addressing priority needs.