NHS Grampian Abandons Free Newborn Nappies Amid £65m Deficit

NHS Grampian, facing the highest financial overspend among Scottish health boards, plans to implement a £23 million savings recovery plan to reduce its deficit to the government-mandated limit of £45 million. Among these measures was a proposal to stop providing free disposable nappies for healthy newborns in hospitals, which would save only about £8,000 annually, though this decision faced criticism and was ultimately reversed by the board who decided to find savings elsewhere. The plan also includes reducing outpatient appointments by 30% through remote result delivery, cutting services on public holidays including cancer day services and pediatric surgeries, and scaling back spiritual care. The health board has already received a government loan of more than £67 million to manage its overspending, driven by rising operational costs, inflation, and an aging population. NHS Grampian was escalated to stage four of NHS Scotland's National Performance Framework due to governance and financial concerns, prompting an external review by KPMG. Despite the financial challenges, the board emphasized its commitment to supporting vulnerable patients and addressing child poverty in its care decisions.