Draft Notes: Another Edinburgh is Possible Meeting on 4th May 2023
15 people attending – 3 apologies.
Background
• The Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board (EIJB) is responsible for the provision of most health and social care services in the city.
• The Edinburgh IJB met in March and approved around £11 million of cuts in its budget. Its meetings in April and May were cancelled. It plans to consider cutting an additional £35 million at its June meeting.
• A report by the care commission published in March described the Edinburgh IJB as failing to deliver services at almost every level with a demoralised workforce.
• Recent audit commission report notes that IJB’s can’t recruit enough staff – particularly true in Edinburgh – staff turnover (Scotland wide) is 30% a year (likely to be even higher in Edinburgh?)
• Edinburgh IJB can’t meet its statutory responsibilities or health and safety standards.
• Demand for support is rising because:
o The proportion of people over 60 in Edinburgh is growing.
o The overall population of Edinburgh is growing.
o Covid and long covid continue to increase the numbers in need of support.
o Poverty levels are increasing as a result of the cost-of-living crisis.
• Key dates: IJB meets on Tuesday 13th June, the council Finance and Resources Committee on 20th June and the full council on 22nd June.
• The EIJB will not release details of the actual impact of the cuts – probably not even at the meetings in June.
• The crisis in social care is about resources but most particularly about staffing because care staff – who are skilled workers – are not paid properly.
• The EIJB is in organisational chaos – it seems likely that senior officers will resign.
• This is a long-term crisis – unions and others have been warning the council of its likelihood for years.
• Edinburgh IJB has the highest proportion of outsourced services of any region in Scotland.
Challenges
Short term: to stop the immediate cuts so that health and social care services in Edinburgh don’t deteriorate further.
Longer term (but urgent):
• involve service users and unions in reorganising health and social care in Edinburgh.
• end outsourcing, take profit out of care.
Campaign
We agreed to keep working on and refining these demands. This is the provisional list.
• Call on the council to insist that the EIJB must meet its statutory responsibilities.
• Call on the council to provide the EIJB with the resources it needs.
• Call on the Scottish Government to support the council with the resources required to solve the immediate crisis.
• Call for the radical reform of the IJB.
Actions
Again, this list is provisional and will be developed further. Please email with suggestions.
• Write to/lobby local councillors and ask them to support the demands.
• Write to your MSP and ask them to raise the issue at Holyrood.
• Talk to your union or community groups that you are involved in and ask them to support the campaign.
• Write to the Evening News
• Share the AEIP Facebook page and website as widely as you can.
• Support the campaigning stalls that we’ll organise in the 2 or 3 weeks before the EIJB meeting – details to follow – but also organise your own stalls – we can help with leaflets if necessary.
• Mass protest at the EIJB meeting on 13th June.
Another Edinburgh is Possible 