South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth has used a question session in the Scottish Parliament to challenge the Health Secretary over cuts in NHS Dumfries and Galloway.

Colin Smyth asked the Scottish Government when it last discussed NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s funding deficit with the local health board and where Health Secretary Neil Gray expects the board to find cuts to tackle the funding shortfall

Last month, health board Chief Executive Jeff Ace released a public statement about the serious funding deficit facing the health board. Mr Ace said: “It is expected that our opening financial position in April 2024 will be a deficit of £35 million. Without any cost savings being made, this overspend could potentially rise to around £54 million at the end of March 2025 because of inflation, growing patient need and increasing costs involved in providing treatment and care. This is clearly unsustainable.

“A robust financial savings plan is required to address this situation, which comes on top of several consecutive years of what have already been challenging times for NHS Dumfries and Galloway.”

Speaking in the Scottish Parliament last week, Colin Smyth said: “NHS Dumfries and Galloway has projected that it will face a £54 million deficit by March 2025, and the Scottish Government has ordered it to find £29 million in savings in the forthcoming year alone.

“In a region where people cannot find an NHS dentist to register with; mums-to-be in Wigtownshire have to take a 150-mile round trip to Dumfries to give birth because the maternity unit in Stranraer remains closed; cottage hospitals that were closed in order to deal with Covid have not reopened; and there are record vacancies for consultants and record waiting lists, where exactly does the cabinet secretary expect NHS Dumfries and Galloway to make cuts of nearly £30 million in the next year alone without that having a devastating impact on patient care?”

Speaking after the session, Colin Smyth continued: “Health Secretary Neil Gray’s lack lustre responses to my questions were disappointing.

“We all know that our situation can be seen replicated in health boards across Scotland but it is still hugely concerning for Dumfries and Galloway.

“Most people know that to make savings of this magnitude, services will suffer.

“With waiting lists sky rocketing, our A&E departments are overrun, and delayed discharge is continuing to pose huge problems, there is an urgent need to ramp up activity, but our health service simply cannot cope.

“Services are at breaking point, staff are exhausted and demoralised, and patients are being put at risk – but while our NHS was buckling under pressure, the Scottish Government has done nothing.”