Lifeline care for some of West Dunbartonshire’s most vulnerable patients could be placed at risked under proposed cuts to surgery support staff, a leading union has warned.
Almost half of community link workers will be axed under cuts being considered by West Dunbartonshire Health & Social Care Partnership (West Dunbartonshire HSCP).
Now, their union, GMB Scotland, has warned that the loss of four of nine specialist support workers will remove crucial protection and support for patients while piling more pressure on clinical staff.
In response, West Dunbartonshire HSCP has said that it is “facing considerable financial challenges” and says it is doing all it can “to maintain the level of service” as it apologised for “any distress or uncertainty this difficult decision might cause”.
The community links staff, working alongside GPs in surgeries, deliver dedicated support with non-medical problems impacting on patients’ health, such as debt, housing, loneliness, food and fuel poverty, and abuse.
West Dunbartonshire communities suffer some of the highest levels of deprivation in Scotland with one survey in 2023 suggesting life expectancy for men to be the lowest in the UK.
Click here for more news and sport from West Dunbartonshire.
However, the service is at risk as a report being considered by the HSCP suggests cuts to surgery workers are needed to deliver half of the £320,000 savings required to balance the books this year.
GMB Scotland has warned that the cuts would be a “false economy” as patients’ physical and mental health suffers and pressure is piled on GPs.
The proposed changes to the community links support team suggest that the remaining workers could be focussed on the poorest postcodes but Rory Steel, GMB Scotland policy and external affairs officers, said pockets of poverty exist even in the wealthiest neighbourhoods and specialist support for patients cannot be limited by postcode.
He said: “The gap in life expectancy between the richest and poorest neighbourhoods in Scotland has never been wider and the work of the community links workers has never been more needed.
“The loss of their support will lead to more ill health and poorer outcomes for some of the most vulnerable patients.
“These proposed savings are nothing of the kind.
“They are a short-sighted false economy and will only increase health inequalities, pressure on GPs, and hospital admissions while leading to many more preventable deaths.
“The Partnership should take them off the table and find a new way forward.”
The union has written to West Dunbartonshire Council leader, Councillor Martin Rooney, urging a review of alternative funding to protect the community links workers and asking for joint talks with the Scottish Government to help halt the cuts.
A spokesperson for West Dunbartonshire HSCP said: ”As is the case for healthcare services across the country, West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership is facing considerable financial challenges. The HSCP is committed to working within its means, and to help achieve that it has needed to make a number of difficult decisions about the services it provides.
“The HSCP fully understands the importance of the Community Link Worker programme and the positive impact it has had on both patients and healthcare providers. We would like to thank all those involved in the service for their hard work and commitment.
“We are doing all we can to maintain the level of service for the most vulnerable people across West Dunbartonshire, and as such we plan to adopt a targeted approach so that our scarce resources can be concentrated in the most deprived areas, ensuring the people with the most need have continuing access to support.
“We would like to apologise for any distress or uncertainty this difficult decision might cause.”