Skip to main content
Donate to the 95 years appeal
Watchdog calls for action, amid yawning health and social care deficits in Scotland
A general view of staff on a NHS hospital ward

SCOTLAND’S health and social care partnerships must stop fighting fires and tackle their ballooning budget deficit currently standing at £0.5 billion, a watchdog has warned.

Integrated Joint Boards (IJB), set up on the integration of social work and primary health care in 2013, have seen deficits grow steadily amid continuing austerity and soaring demand.

The problem appears to be worsening however, as the latest Accounts Commission report showed the spending gap rise by 28 per cent between 2022/23 and 2023/24 — soaring from £357 million to £457m.

In that time, 24 of the 30 IJBs were in deficit, with 11 having to be bailed out by councils or NHS boards, and 16 forced to raid reserves, depleting them by 49 per cent.

Malcolm Bell, member of the Accounts Commission, said: “For too long, integration joint boards have been firefighting immediate financial challenges.

“They must shift from making one-off savings and relying on reserves to transform how services are delivered if they are to tackle their precarious finances.”

Calling for collaboration to meet the scale of the challenge, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities health and social care spokesperson, Cllr Paul Kelly, warned: “With Scotland’s population aged 75 and over expected to rise to 774,000 by 2045, it is vital that we invest in prevention and early intervention in social care with this future in mind.”

Scottish Labour’s health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: “The SNP must heed the warnings in this report before the crisis in health and social care spirals even further out of control. 

“This perfect storm of funding pressures, staffing shortages and growing demand has left services at breaking point.”

A Scottish government spokesperson said: “We have invested a record £21.7bn in health and social care in 2025-26, which includes almost £2.2bn for social care and integration.”

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
More from this author
(left to right) Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and Davy Russell celebrate during a rally on Castle Street, Hamilton, after he was declared the winner for the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election, June 6, 2025
Scotland / 6 June 2025
6 June 2025
Teachers from the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union take part in a rally outside the constituency office of Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville in Dunfermline, Fife, during their strike action in dispute over pay, February 22, 2023
EIS Conference 2025 / 6 June 2025
6 June 2025
Teachers from the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union take part in a rally outside the Tramway in Glasgow on day two of the strike action in a dispute over pay, March 1, 2023
Scotland / 6 June 2025
6 June 2025
Similar stories
An Accident and Emergency sign
Britain / 24 December 2024
24 December 2024
Campaigners rallying outside Edinburgh’s City Chambers
Britain / 1 November 2024
1 November 2024
First Minister John Swinney during a visit to Forth Valley C
Voices of Scotland / 17 September 2024
17 September 2024
KATE RAMSDEN calls out the SNP’s political choices, citing STUC research showing billions could be raised through progressive taxation to fund vital social work and care — instead, we’re being threatened with more cuts