NHS Health Boards across Scotland will receive: “£354.5 million (3.7%) of direct additional funding in 2018-19, of which £179.5 million is for a general allocation uplift and a further £175 million increase for investment in reform.” Shona Robinson, Health Secretary in the Scottish Government.

For Orkney this means £47.7million for revenue resource funding and £1million for capital resource funding.

The funding was agreed as part of the Scottish Budget with the support of all SNP and Green MSPs and 2 LibDems. Labour, Conservative and 3 LibDems voted against.

Overall it means health spending in Scotland will increase to £13.1 billion in 2018/19.

In addition to the allocations to Health Boards there is also increased funding to National Boards which includes the Scottish Ambulance and NHS 24.

 Shona Robison said:

Shona Robison

“Scotland’s health service is undergoing a transformation to meet new pressures and changing demands and this additional £400 million will ensure services across the country can continue to deliver excellent care and improve the health of our communities.

“The dedicated reform funding will extend the provision of care and support closer to people’s homes, boost mental health spending and deepen the integration of health and social care. This investment will support our commitment that more than half of frontline spending will be in community health services by the end of this Parliament.