Funding provided to health boards for additional pressures of COP26: FOI release

Information requested

a) What additional funding is the Scottish Government giving to a) Scottish Ambulance Service; b) NHS Glasgow and Clyde; and c) other health boards to cope with additional pressure as a result of COP26?

b) What business plans have been submitted for increased capacity in the NHS to cope with COP26, and can these plans be published?

Response

COP26 is a UNFCCC event delivered in collaboration with the UK Government, Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and Scottish agencies. The responsibility for delivering the main COP26 summit rests with the UK Government, through the Cabinet Office.

To ensure that Scottish delivery partners, such as NHS Boards, are resourced to deliver a safe and secure summit without adverse impact on services, there are arrangements in place with the UK Government to guarantee that NHS Boards are able to recover any Prior to the event, NHS Boards could apply for funding via the UK Government Spend Approval Board process, to cover any additional COP26 costs. During the event, NHS Boards have also been able to apply for any additional or increased costs incurred during event delivery via the UK Government Event Time Spend Approval Board. In the case of unexpected pressures or incidents during COP26, costs can be recovered by NHS Boards via this event time process.

As such, Scottish Government have not given any COP26-specific funding to NHS Boards, as delivery costs are being covered by the UK Government, as described above. For further details about UK Government funding for COP26, you may wish to contact Cabinet Office directly at: FOI Team Cabinet Office, Room 405, 70 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2AS, United Kingdom (email: foi-team@cabinetoffice.gov.uk).

In terms of NHS Boards’ business plans for increased capacity during COP26, these are not held by the Scottish Government. However, you may wish to contact NHS Boards directly to request access to their business plans and enquire as to whether these plans can be published.

If you would like to request further information from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde regarding their business plans for increased capacity during COP26, you can contact the Freedom of Information Manager directly at: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Board Corporate Headquarters, JB Russell House, Gartnavel Royal Hospital, 1055 Great Western Road, Glasgow, G12 0XH (email: foi@ggc.scot.nhs.uk).

For further information regarding Scottish Ambulance Service business plans for increased capacity during COP26, you can contact the Freedom of Information Officer directly at: National Headquarters, 1 South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 9EB. Alternatively, you can submit an FOI request using their online form, available on the Scottish Ambulance Service website (https://www.scottishambulance.com/contact-us/freedom-of-information/making-an-foi-request/submit-an-foi-request/).

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