ARGYLL and Bute Council’s policy lead for care services has vowed to lobby the next Scottish health minister on services in the area “from day one”.
Councillor Dougie McFadzean (SNP, Kintyre and the Islands) also said that the pressure needs to be “more forceful” this time around with the area’s ageing population growing.
The Scottish Government will be formed after the elections have taken place on Thursday, May 7, and the results announced the following day.
The discussion on services in Argyll and Bute took place at a meeting of the full council on Wednesday, April 29.
Councillor McFadzean wrote in a report prior to the meeting: “I want to highlight the recently published integration joint boards (IJBs) financial bulletin 2024/25 from the Accounts Commission, which reinforces concerns regarding the long-term financial sustainability of IJBs.
“The bulletin notes that growing demand continues to outstrip increases in funding and achievable savings, requiring difficult decisions around service redesign, reduction or discontinuation.
“It also emphasises the importance of transparency with service users and the public about the potential impact of these decisions.
“The challenges faced by Argyll and Bute are mirrored across Scotland, and we will continue to work hard to deliver services within the resources available to us.”
Councillor Peter Wallace (Conservative, Isle of Bute) asked: “What steps will be taken to engage with the new Scottish Government health minister to ensure rural areas get sufficient funding?”
Councillor McFadzean responded: “You are absolutely correct in raising this. From day one the lobbying needs to start, making it clear Argyll and Bute and other rural locations are more complex and have staffing challenges and must be treated with a degree of priority.
“We are not the central belt and are not a city or town, everything is more difficult. That was the lobbying I was doing last time around.
“Whatever the new Scottish Government looks like, it will be exactly the same from day one. We need to be more forceful than we were last time because the aging population is growing.
“Our job is to look after the people of Argyll and Bute.”
Peter Wallace is standing for the Conservative Party in the Argyll and Bute constituency in the Scottish Parliament elections on Thursday, May 7.
The other candidates are Calum George (Labour), Amanda Hampsey (Reform UK), Tommy MacPherson (Independent), Jenni Minto (SNP), Alan Reid (Liberal Democrat) and Mick Rice (Independent).
