Health board hit back in row over Move More​

Last week, local councillors on a key Comhairle committee slammed the health board over its withdrawal of funding for the Move More programme, and over how the matter had allegedly been handled by the local health board.

A report before members of the Comhairle’s Education, Sport and Children’s Services committee stated that whilst the current funding arrangements were drawing to a close, with the project’s funding due to end at the end of March, the Comhairle had understood discussions to be under way on a renewal of the programme.

But instead, the report alleged, the authority received an email from NHS Western Isles in April confirming that it was terminating funding for the project with immediate effect, and would not be renewing the service level agreement.

Prior to the termination of the contract, NHS Western Isles had contributed £50k a year to the service, with the Comhairle contributing £15k, but also taking on delivery of the service and making an in-kind contribution in terms of facilities and other resources that amounted, the authority claims, to £50k per year.

Councillors at the committee meeting were also concerned that an alternative project allegedly being considered by NHSWI would require a financial input from service users, with some councillors voicing concerns over equalities issues arising from the impact of such a requirement on those who maybe be unable to afford to pay.

The Comhairle’s Sports Development Services Manager told the meeting: “This service is very close to people’s hearts, and the difference this programme has made over the last seven years, it has saved lives, it’s changed lives, and the threat to remove it is hard to take.

“It made substantial savings to the NHS over the period. There’s been an argument that the service wasn’t good value for the community, but equivalent to three people per week went through the initial phase of the twelve week programme, which equates to about 1900 hours, equivalent to 51 weeks – ninety per-cent of what was available to us in the programme.”

According to the Comhairle report, in 2023/24 the Move More programme received 248 referrals from health professionals, with 196 people agreeing to take part in, or were deemed appropriate, for the 12-week programme.

Of these, the report confirms, 136 completed the full programme (69 per-cent), while 153 completed at least 75 per-cent of the programme, and with a total of 5070 ‘interventions’ with clients.

Comhairle Chief Executive, Malcolm Burr, told the committee that, in his opinion, the way the issue had been handled by NHS Western Isles was “an unsatisfactory way to proceed,” adding: “To bring a service to an end without due notice, that affects the employees of another community partner is not satisfactory.”

Point councillor Norrie MacDonald raised the issue of the health needs of an ageing population in the island, and said: “For the NHS to shut this down without consultation with a stakeholder is ridiculous. It is absolutely ridiculous that the Director of Public Health is actively working against public health.

“We’re coming across another situation here in which the health board knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing.”

Stornoway councillor, Rae MacKenzie, added: “Western Isles NHS board are a disgrace in withdrawing this cash. I can’t put it any less than that. This is a vital service….I just find this incredible, and I’m disgusted with them.”

Cllr Angus McCormack described NHSWI’s decision as being an “arbitrary cessation,” of the programme which, he said, he found to be “bewildering,” adding: “How they can take this decision without the slightest bit of consultation with the individuals they are going to disadvantage? I don’t understand that. It should be reinstated.”

But, NHSWI has now hit back at the Comhairle’s claims, and in a statement, a spokesperson said: “As a public body with significant financial requirements to meet and with a responsibility for ensuring the best and most effective use of public money, it is important that all services funded or part-funded by NHS Western Isles are regularly and fully evaluated and assessed to ensure the services being offered are appropriate, and as inclusive, accessible, effective and equitable as possible.

“All public sector budgets remain under significant pressure at present – with unprecedented additional financial demands and statutory requirements.”

“For the last financial year of Move More, 136 individuals completed the programme, which equates to less than three people a week on average.

“The aims of any future programme of this type would be to ensure maximum benefit and uptake; as high as possible a completion rate (45% of participants that were referred did not complete Move More last year); that there is a clear pathway for more permanent health improvement benefits after an individual has completed a programme; and to ensure any scheme is as accessible as possible to adults over the age of 18 across the Western Isles population.”

The NHS statement continued: “It’s important also to point out that it is extremely unusual for programmes of this sort to be fully funded by public bodies. It may be that any future programmes should include consideration as to whether participants should pay a contribution towards classes, sports centre membership, one-to-one sessions, or gym inductions. This is common in many other similar programmes.”

The statement concluded: “NHSWI would wish to understand the range of different service users that currently use or could potentially make use of a physical activity programme, as this data has not been presented to date for consideration.

“Availability of funding and effective use of public money is always an important issue, as we have detailed in all our media responses that related to Move More to date.

“In an initial email to the Comhairle on April 12 2024, the Director of Public Health did indicate that the Health Board ‘could not renegotiate a renewal of the Move More service level agreement in its current form’.

“He then offered a meeting to explore how the delivery of programmes could be achieved going forward. “

“Despite pressing from the NHS side and various meeting dates offered by the DPH, this meeting did not take place until May 17 2024.”