The 2018-19 budget for the Health and Sport Portfolio: FOI release

You asked the following questions:

• What was the budget for 2018-2019 for Scottish health? 
• How much of this has been used so far?
• How much is allocated for future projects? 
• How much of the budget remains that would be able to be allocated for the clinical reviews recommendations?

The answers to your questions are:

• The 2018-19 Scottish Government budget for the Health and Sport Portfolio is £13.1 billion.
• The NHS Scotland consolidated financial reporting position is published monthly by the Scottish Government and shows the year-to-date spend and forecast spend for 2018-19.  Please see the link below, which shows the spend across the Health and Sport portfolio each month, by health board: https://www.gov.scot/Topics/Health/Quality-Improvement-Performance/Financial-Performance/NHSScotland-Consolidated-Financial-Reporting
• As at the end of August 2018, NHS Boards in Scotland had spent £4.83 billion of their revenue budgets.  Taking into account known pressures, the Health and Sport Portfolio is forecast to be fully spent for the financial year 2018-19.
• There is currently no budget within the Health and Sport portfolio that is not allocated.  However, there is some capacity within the £6.5 million allocated to the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme (SIBSS).  We are currently monitoring spend with SIBSS to review how much budget can be set aside in 2018-19 for the clinical review recommendations.  We are also currently reviewing whether there is scope to make some savings within other Scottish Government Health Protection Division budgets by stopping certain activities in order to help increase the amount available to SIBSS.