HEALTH and social care chiefs have admitted that there simply isn’t enough money to fulfil a promise of additional beds for elderly care across Dumfries and Galloway.
The region’s Integration Joint Board (IJB) commissioned 31 “flexible beds” 18 months ago as part of the ‘Right Care, Right Place’ health campaign, and these beds were intended to provide intermediate care for elderly patients for up to six weeks.
Flexible beds were to be the ideal solution for people needing short-term support after being released from hospital before returning home, or for those who need palliative and end of life care, and in some cases they could be used as emergency and planned respite for carers.
However, just 22 of those beds are currently in use – and health bosses last week revealed that a £14m budget overspend is the reason why.
The issue was raised at Dumfries and Galloway Council’s social work committee last Thursday after Stranraer and the Rhins Councillor Willie Scobie and Dee and Glenkens Councillor Dougie Campbell sought answers over why all 31 beds were not made available.
Mr Scobie said: “There are just two flexible beds in Wigtownshire out of a possible nine, and two in the Stewartry out of a possible five. So, we’re well short of what was first mooted when under discussion with the public.
“The report says there have been positive discussions with care homes, but it has not stipulated with whom or where these nine beds have to come from.”
He then asked for more information about the Social Care Advisory Group, which made the decision to pause the Right Care, Right Place campaign and not allow for any more flexible beds to be made available at that time.
Stephen Morgan, the council’s chief social work officer, explained that the group is made up of Dumfries and Galloway Council officers and senior figures from the health and social partnership.
He continued: “We pulled that group together because of the significant projected overspend of £14m in the current financial year on adult social work and social care.
“We are looking at all possible options to bring that budget back in line.”
He added: “The direction from the IJB is for the council to provide those beds – if the budget is available.
“Given the significant shift in the fiscal position, we have said that a pause would be most appropriate and we can look at the impact and value of those beds.
“What I can assure the committee is that the physical beds across the care homes in Dumfries and Galloway exist, and they are still there to be utilised. The change here is that we are not paying upfront for beds, but we will still spot purchase where demand is required.”
NHS officer Stephanie Mottram, general manager of the Dumfries and Galloway health and social care partnership, said: “I think we need to take some positives away in that we have 22 beds commissioned, and we have further expressions of interest from care homes.”
She added: “Following the budget outcome in March 2025 whereby there was no investment for adult social care made by elected members, I think the financial advisory group has taken the appropriate by pausing to have a look at this.”
