Improving Outcomes and Reform funding: FOI release

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


Information requested

Information about the ‘Improving Outcomes and Reforms’ budget line in the 2025-2026 health and social care budget. Specifically, information about what this budget line is, what exactly it funds and the analysis/calculation behind the cut in this year’s budget.

Response

The ‘Improving Outcomes and Reform’ line in Scottish Budget 2025-26 comprises the following funding:

  • Access Support
  • Waiting Times Improvement Plan
  • Board Recovery
  • National Treatment Centres
  • Modernising Patient Pathways
  • Winter Funding
  • Urgent Care
  • Unscheduled Care
  • Detect Cancer Early
  • Cancer Policy
  • Waiting Times

The difference between the 2024-25 amount of £387.6 million and the 2025-26 amount of £305.2 million shown in Scottish Budget 2025-26, i.e. a net reduction of £82.4 million, is explained as follows:

  • £185.6 million relating to the 2024-25 budget transfers permanently to NHS Health Board core budgets from 2025-26 (this amount is shown elsewhere in the Scottish Budget 2025-26 and is therefore not acut);
  • An additional £100 million to reduce waiting times is included for 2025-26;
  • Other increases and inward transfers for 2025-26 total £3.2 million.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

Contact

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

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

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