The row over controversial cuts to community links workers in Glasgow's poorest neighbourhoods has taken a new twist amid claims that the city's health and care bosses secretly rejected an offer by the Scottish Government to cover half the costs.
Trade union GMB, which represents the GP surgery staff who are set to be made redundant unless the proposals are reversed, has demanded an explanation from Susanne Millar, the chief officer for the Glasgow health and social care partnership (GHSCP), over "unacceptable" decisions which it says "ride roughshod over local democracy".
Glasgow's health and social care bosses previously said they would be forced to slash the number of full-time community link worker (CLW) posts from 70 to 42 from April next year because the Scottish Government was discontinuing a £1.35 million funding pot which had been used to pay for the scheme.
However, in a letter shared with the Herald, Rory Steel, the policy & external relations officer for GMB Scotland, says the trade union has been "reliably informed by the Scottish Government that a formal, written offer was made in September for half of the funding to be provided" - a sum of around £700,000 - "not just for one year, but on a recurring basis – and that this offer was rejected by GCHSCP".
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Mr Steel said the GMB has spoken to "numerous councillors" who sit as voting members on the board but who insisted that they were unaware of any official offer having been made.
Mr Steel added: "The implications of this are that Councillors who are responsible for making major spending decisions on Glasgow’s services and who are accountable to the electorate, have not only been denied the opportunity to decide on the offer, but they have not even been notified.
"Instead, GCHSCP officers have made the decision themselves to reject the offer, make several of our members redundant in the middle of the cost-of-living crisis, and leave the most deprived communities with a significantly reduced service which would assist them with their health, economic and social issues.
"It is unacceptable for unelected officers to ride roughshod over local democracy and not respect due process or the role of elected Councillors."
He added that the Government's offer was "specific" to Glasgow and also questioned why the HSCP could not dip into its £9 million reserve to make up the difference.
READ MORE: Glasgow community link worker cuts 'catastrophic' for poorest patients
The HSCP insists that there are "some misunderstandings" in the letter, but a spokeswoman confirmed that it did receive - and respond to - a formal offer from the Scottish Government earlier this week.
She added: “We are keen to continue discussions with Scottish Government but their offer of funding being contingent on us diverting additional money from other over-stretched services is not something we can comply with given the very serious financial difficulties we are facing across all our business.”
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: “We have offered additional funding to help them resolve the issue and it’s a matter for the HSCP in Glasgow to decide if they wish to take up this offer.
“We are clear that Community Link Workers must continue to provide a vital service in disadvantaged areas."
The revelations come days after the Herald reported that Health Secretary Michael Matheson had told key stakeholders during the SNP conference that the Government was "open to meeting the HSCP halfway" to prevent the job losses.
There has been a fierce backlash since the planned cuts were outlined by the HSCP in August, with GPs and charities warning of a "catastrophic" impact on the city's poorest residents.
Community links workers are employed by the HSCP but embedded in Glasgow's Deep End GP practices, located in the city's most deprived communities.
They provide dedicated support for non-medical problems affecting patients' health, such as issues with debt, housing, loneliness, food and fuel poverty, and abuse, and are seen as a vital resource for tackling widening health inequalities.
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Christiana Melam, chief executive of the National Association of Link Workers UK, said the "unnecessary anxiety" inflicted on Glasgow's CLWs by the current uncertainty is "nothing short of heart-wrenching".
She added: "The outcry for resolution is more than overwhelming; it's a passionate plea for justice and compassion concerning patients in Glasgow.
"The deafening silence from Glasgow HSCP is disheartening, to say the least.
"We urgently call for transparency and effective communication from both parties to swiftly put an end to this distressing situation, ensuring that patient well-being remains the top priority and let CLWs continue their essential work unhindered."
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