No ‘significant risks’ to NHS Shetland just now from global conflicts, meeting hears
NHS Shetland chief executive Brian Chittick says there are no “significant” risks to the health board at the moment from global geopolitical tensions.
The US-Iran conflict has seen the price of oil, for instance, rise over the last couple of months, causing concern over the impact it could have on people and organisations.
But speaking at a meeting of the health board on Tuesday, Chittick said NHS Shetland has been asked by the Scottish Government to provide an assessment of the situation.
“At the moment we’re not highlighting anything of significint risk, but that’s not to say time won’t work against that,” he said.
Chittick said future risks could be in areas like energy costs and inflation.
“We are keeping an eye on that,” he said.
Finance director Colin Marsland said Brae is the only health centre that is heated by heating oil, although prices have risen sharply.
He said most of NHS Shetland’s vehicle fleet is now electric.
Marsland also told the meeting that electricity is bought in advance.
The issue was raised by health board member Kathy Hubbard, who said there will be “no escaping” financial pressures emanating from the geopolitical tensions.
She also raised concern about the impact on medicine supply, but Marsland said this is being looked at on a UK-wide basis by government.
NHS Shetland chairman Gary Robinson also mentioned how news reports suggested it may be six or eight months before things “smooth out again”.
“I think that it makes it all the important that we control the things we can control, and let others deal with the things we can’t control,” he said.
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