Scotland provides long-term funding for IT support staff

Scotland has announced long-term funding for IM&T facilitators to work with GPs, pharmacists and dentists.

The Scottish government has agreed to provide recurring funding for the IM&T facilitators who will now be paid for via money provided direct to NHS boards. Previously the funding for IM&T facilitators for dentists and pharmacists were handled centrally.

In a letter to NHS boards Dr Jonathan Pryce, deputy director of the Scotland’s primary and community care directorate, said that the new funding “will provide Boards with continuity in terms of IM&T funding across the three contractor professions in order to meet the primary care facilitation needs of their areas.”

The new money boards have received adds up to £900,000 for IM&T facilitators to work with dentists and £477,475 for facilitators to work with community pharmacists.

NHS boards were asked in 2005 asked to put together a business case for central funding for community pharmacy IM&T facilitators to support community pharmacists and their staff in implementing Scotland’s e-pharmacy programme.