Elderly and vulnerable facing severe cuts to health and social care

The huge strain on health and social care services in Dumfries and Galloway is threatening the council's "overall financial resilience", a council chief has warned.

- MARC MCLEAN

The region's Integration Joint Board is facing a funding shortfall of nearly £58 million this financial year, which means there will be severe cuts to health and social care that will impact elderly and vulnerable residents across the region.

With £12.5m of this funding deficit relating to services delegated to Dumfries and Galloway Council, proposals were been drawn up for a major review of complex care in the region.

It was hoped that this would bring the funding deficit down from £12.5m to £6.65m.

However, the financial picture is worse than initially thought and it is now posing a risk to the council, according to a report prepared for the local authority's enabling and customer services committee next week.