Scotland's health budget will reach record levels next year in the face of a squeeze on overall Scottish public spending, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said today.
The Cabinet Secretary said that health spending would rise 2.4 per cent to a new high of £11.35 billion, as outlined in the Scottish Government's draft budget for 2010-11.
The extra money, she said, would be heavily prioritised towards frontline services for patients across the country.
Key points in the draft health budget include:
- Funding for health boards will increase by 2.7 per cent to £8.54 billion
- The decision by the Scottish Government to protect the health budget from the £129 million impact of the UK Government's decision to reduce the English health capital budget by £1.3 billion
- £55 million in revenue and capital funding to deal with influenza A (H1N1), including the delivery of a vaccine programme which will prioritise vulnerable groups
- Protection of spending to achieve targets around reducing Healthcare Associated Infections and transferring funds to health boards to meet key waiting times targets
- Continuing the implementation of Equally Well to reduce health inequalities across Scotland
- Maintaining our commitment to tackle alcohol misuse, smoking, obesity and lack of exercise to reduce the burden of preventable disease on NHS Scotland.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "This is a good deal for NHS Scotland in the face of an overall cut of 500 million pounds by the UK Government and the first real terms reduction in the Scottish budget since devolution.
"We will not allow cuts imposed upon us lead to cutbacks for Scottish patients.
"So we will increase funding for NHS boards by 2.7 per cent to a record £8.54 billion.
"Together with the two percent efficiency savings all boards are required to make which they keep to reinvest in frontline services, this will ensure key priorities are safeguarded."
What it means for housing and regeneration
As a result of the Scottish Government's decision to bring forward investment to help Scotland through the worst of the recession, the draft Housing and Regeneration budget for 2010-11 will fall.
While overall planned spending on affordable housing across the three years of the Spending Review remains the same at a record £1.65 billion, the repayment of money brought forward means planned spending on affordable housing in 2010-11 is reduced.
Key Housing and Regeneration priorities include:
* Continuing to work to improve the supply and quality of housing
* Helping homeowners at risk of repossession
* Through the Energy Assistance Package, continuing to work towards the target of eradicating fuel poverty as far as reasonably practicable
* Continue to prevent and tackle homelessness
Ms Sturgeon added:
"The Housing and Regeneration budget for next year has reduced from planned levels.
"This is because we brought forward investment planned for next year to help us through the depths of the recession.
"This allowed us to start new affordable housing projects when the construction industry was starved of private investment.
"Over the three years, our spending in this area still totals 1.65 billion pounds, exactly as promised.
"But Scotland's economy is not out of the woods. That's why we will press the UK Government to allow us to bring forward further investment so that we can continue to provide the affordable housing Scotland needs and ensure our recovery is not compromised."