Integration Joint Board sets budget for 2024-25

Fife Integration Joint Board’s budget for 2024 to 2025 has been approved by members of the Integration Joint Board (IJB) at a meeting held today.

A budget of over £682 million will be spent on delivering health and social care services for Fifers in the coming year.

This will allow the IJB to continue to deliver the priorities and aims of its Strategic Plan, support the transformation of services, and ensure money is spent where needed most for the people of Fife.

And to tackle the financial challenges that lie ahead, the Partnership developed a medium term financial strategy which was approved at the meeting.

Savings opportunities totalling £39 million were also agreed by the IJB to bridge an expected budget gap.

This will be made up of a range of measures including previously agreed savings totalling £15.213 million, efficiency savings totalling £12.020 million, service redesign proposals totalling £6.4 million, and savings from commissioning of £3.2 million.

Nicky Connor, Chief Officer of Fife Integration Joint Board, said: “This year’s budget demonstrates how we will meet the challenges for the year ahead whilst staying aligned to the priorities and outcomes of our Strategic Plan.

“We need to ensure we deliver best value and make the most of our resources. In order to do that we have to make efficiencies.

“But alongside that, we also have a programme of transformation which will see us shape and modernising our services so they are fit for the future.

“We remain committed to working together as ‘Team Fife’ to ensure we listen to our staff, our Trade Unions, our partners and colleagues as well as the voices of the local community as we continue to deliver health and social care services in the Kingdom.”

Audrey Valente, Chief Finance Officer, explained: “We continue to face significant budget pressures but our plans support the sustainability of the Partnership by meeting the short and medium term financial challenges.

“We will continue to monitor and review our financial position moving forward through the governance structure and will update progress in regular reports to the IJB.”