The Scottish Government has announced additional funding for the NHS in Scotland, after they were handed £300m additional spending as a consequence of last year’s Autumn Statement.
However, it has been revealed that out of the £282m the Scottish Government has decided to spend on healthcare, NHS Tayside will be getting £15.9m in additional funding, which amounts to a 2.5% budget increase.
This is the second lowest out of any of the health boards and significantly lower than average rise of 3.4%. If NHS Borders had received a 3.4% rise, they would have been given £6.03m on top of what the Government has announced today.
Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser said:
“As a result of spending decisions made by the Conservative led UK Government, the SNP has an extra £300m to spend on the NHS in 2015-16.
“As welcome as this extra funding is, it has become clear that once again NHS Tayside is being short-changed.
“The pressures facing NHS Tayside are just as acute as those facing other health boards and questions must be raised as to why patients in Tayside will be receiving less than the national average which equates to a funding shortfall of £6m.
“With front-line services under threat and waiting times increasing it is high-time NHS Tayside received their fair slice of the pie.”