NHS Grampian looks to save £177m over next five years

NHS Grampian has said it is looking to save £177m over the next five years as it aims to bring an end to its financial difficulties. The health board is on course to overspend this year by nearly £43m. NHS Grampian has received £90m in loans from the Scottish government over the last two years to help it to deliver services. It remains under increased scrutiny because of serious concerns over its financial sustainability, leadership, and governance. NHS Grampian has put together a financial recovery plan in a bid to balance its books over the coming years. A board meeting later this week will hear that it is expected to achieve nearly £62m of savings in 2025-26. Another £40m will need to be found in the next financial year. NHS Grampian chief executive Laura Skaife-Knight said she believed there were very strong grounds for optimism at the end of what she said had been a challenging year. "It is clear that the coming year and future years will require a greater emphasis on redesign and transformational change," she added. Maternity services at Dr Gray's Hospital were downgraded in 2018 due to staff shortages. At least 23 huge data centres are planned in Scotland, causing significan