Formula used to allocate funding to NHS Boards: FOI release

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.


FOI reference: FOI/18/02515
Date received: 17 September 2018 
Date responded: 27 September 2018
 
Information requested
 
The formula that you used to allocate funding to the NHS Boards for the following years: 2017, 2018, 2019.
 
Response
 

Not all Chief Scientist Office (CSO) funding is allocated to the NHS Boards using formulae, but information relating to how we provide funding for NHS research infrastructure can be found on the NHS Research Scotland http://www.nhsresearchscotland.org.uk/education-and-funding/funding-for-nhs-research-infrastructure

The table below explains how each of the CSO funding elements are allocated to the NHS Boards, and applies to the financial years 2017-18 and 2018-19. It should be noted that this methodology has been followed since 2012-13.

Please be aware the details for financial year 2019-20 have not yet been calculated, but are likely to follow the same process as in previous years.

Funding Element

Allocation Method

NRS Researcher Support
(RS)

Project and recruitment based elements. 

As with Service Support costs below, the “formula” for Researcher Support is available on the NRS website.  For each Health Board involved, a 3 year rolling average is then applied to the calculated yearly amount.

 

NRS Service Support Costs
(SSC)

Activity based elements. 

As with Research Support, the “formula” for Service Support funding is on the NRS website.  For each Health Board involved, a 3 year rolling average is then applied to the calculated yearly amount; we then reduce this subtotal by a previously determined amount to address any duplication of funding through generic infrastructure supported SSC type posts within each Board.

 

NRS Generic Infrastructure
(GI)

No formula - contracted separately.  

GI funding is based on an assessment of need at the time NRS was set-up for the four nodal Health Boards (i.e. NHS Grampian, Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Lothian and Tayside) and in line with the implementation of the Scottish Government’s Health & Social Care Research Strategy in 2017 for all other research active Health Boards. These funding arrangements are adjusted regularly on the basis of activity share from aggregated RS/SSC data, most recently in the 2018-19 financial year.  Uplifts may also be applied to the allocation in order to address NHS salary increases.

 

NRS Management

No formula - contracted separately. 

Management is funded on a % basis of all of the above (RS, SSC, GI) although no change is applied if the calculated amount is within 5% of the previous year. 

 

Networks

No formula - funded on an assessment of need in 2014-15.

 

Specialty Groups

No formula - funded on an assessment of need in 2014-15.

 

SHARE
(NHS Tayside)

No formula - an annual assessment of need.

 

Biorepository
(NHS Grampian, Lothian, Tayside, GG&C)

No formula. 

An assessment of need made in 2015/16 in order to separate biorepository funding from the generic infrastructure allocations to nodal Health Boards.  Separate allocations for biorepositories were introduced in 2016/17 based on this assessment (and applying annual uplift for NHS salary increases) with CSO providing a 70% contribution to salary costs identified in the assessment plus a contribution for consumables costs.

 

Safe Haven
(NHS Grampian, Lothian, Tayside, GG&C)

No formula. 

An assessment of need made in 2017/18 in order to separate safe haven funding from the generic infrastructure allocations to nodal Health Boards.  Separate allocations for safe havens were introduced in 2018/19 based on this assessment.

 

National Safe Haven
(NHS NSS)

No formula - an assessment of need.

 

Fellowships

No formula - fellowships are funded on the number of fellows being supported in any one year. 

New fellowships are advertised prior to the start of the financial year (April to March), and run for three years.  Each board notifies CSO how much they need to support the fellowships for each financial year.

 

 

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Contact

Please quote the FOI reference
Central Enquiry Unit 
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000

 
The Scottish Government 
St Andrew's House 
Regent Road 
Edinburgh 
EH1 3DG
 

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