HEALTH and Social Care Partnership chief officer Keith Redpath has reiterated his view that the efficiency savings suggested in a recent report will not be as deep as first feared.

According to the report, the West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership, which is responsible for the planning and delivery of health and social care services to the communities of West Dunbartonshire, was facing nearly £1.5m of efficiency savings.

The cuts were due to be passed down from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, who themselves were understood to be facing an in-year funding gap of £8.5m.

And the report that went before members of the HSCP board last Wednesday warned that the organisation would need to find around £656,000 of savings this year from its prescribing budget.

That was on top of the £825,000 the board were due to find from their “current savings plan”. That totalled £1,481,000.

But Mr Redpath said that the situation is now not the case, following a tariff agreement between the Scottish government and pharmaceutical industry, which means the cost of medicine will not be as high to the NHS as first estimated.

At Wednesday's meeting Mr Redpath said: "It's clear we are not going to have to fill that gap but there is still work to be done.

"By the time we get to the middle of the (financial) year we'll have an idea of the actual extent.

"It might still be six figures but it's a much better position to be in and we'll be in a better position to tell members."

He added: "We are working with our partners to reduce it (the budget gap) even further with more initiatives."

Head of Community Health and Care Service Christine McNeill, said efficiency savings had already taken any shortfall down by £70,000, hailing that a "remarkable achievement."

She continued: "The paper outlines particular pressures in West Dunbartonshire.

"We have many areas of prescribing pressure and actions that are appropriate.

"But the most important thing for members is to know the local actions to mitigate local pressure.

"We are putting the patient first."

At Wednesday's meeting Councillor John Mooney asked: "Are you confident you can make these savings from the prescribing budget without impacting on patient care?"

Mr Redpath responded, saying: "Whatever it is we will come back with proposals on how we will deal with it.

"It might be about £200,000 but it's much smaller than we started with."

Councillor Marie McNair, the new HSCP convener, said: "In West Dunbartonshire HSCP the budget pressure is being dealt with in the short term through reserves.

"If this continues then the pressure will be addressed through the NHS budget contribution rather than the council’s."