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Expenditure - Annual Statement on Efficiency, Effectiveness and Economy

During 2010/11, NHS 24 continued to review their core functions in line with their ongoing best value remit in respect of efficiency, effectiveness and economy. Some of the key activities undertaken during the financial year are detailed below:

Best Value Group

The Best Value Group has continued to meet on a bi-monthly basis, with some of the core achievements in current year being:

  • Ongoing scrutiny of efficiency savings plans and development of further plans.
  • Review of Audit Scotland's Best value toolkits in order to further identify any potential areas of efficiency, effectiveness and economy.

Internal Audit

Internal Audit undertook a review of Best Value during the year. This set out how NHS 24 performed against each of the characteristics of best value and examples of good practice. Against the nine characteristics, Internal Audit concluded that NHS 24 Best Value arrangements were well developed in six areas and under development in the remaining three.

The findings and recommendations from Internal Audit are consistent with new Best Value Guidance for Accountable Officers issued by Scottish Government Health Directorates in March 2011. NHS 24 will be putting in place processes to ensure that they implement the recommendations of Internal Audit and this new guidance.


Efficiency Savings Targets

NHS 24 met its 2% cash releasing recurrent efficiency savings target in 2010/11, recognising a total of £1.227m of recurrent savings arising from planned savings programmes. The main areas of saving where via efficiencies within HR recruitment costs and IT non-pay savings, particularly in respect of call tariff charges.

A further £2.350m of savings were recognised non-recurrently, mainly in relation to staffing vacancies.


Non-Frontline Services Review

During 2010, NHS 24 undertook a review of all non-frontline staffing (with assistance from Deloitte's). The resulting Target Operating Model is being put into effect at present, with savings recognised to date of £0.895m, and further anticipated as NHS 24 work towards a more efficient back office function.


Shared Services & shared use of facilities

NHS 24 make use of NHS NSS for a number of their financial processes including payroll, purchase ledger, ledger management and sales ledger. NHS 24 is in the process of joining the rest of the NHS NSS consortium in a shared ledger system, which should result in increased efficiency.

NHS 24 also share a Medical Director with the Scottish Ambulance service (SAS), and are co-located with SAS EMDCs within their offices in Glasgow (Caledonia House) and Edinburgh (Norseman House).


Strategic Frontline Application Programme

NHS 24 are in the process of re-procuring their Strategic frontline applications and associated IT support contracts. This process is being undertaken with best value in mind, with the intention that the new contracts will deliver further efficiencies at a competitive cost.

reviewed 03 November 2011