An Edinburgh charity has threatened legal action against the body responsible for delivering integrated health and social care in the capital, claiming its latest strategic plan is unlawful.
The Ripple Project, which operates a well-known community hub in Restalrig, argues that the Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board (EIJB) failed to meet proper consultation requirements before approving a new strategy that will run until 2028.
The plan, agreed in June, sets out how the board intends to manage health and care services over the next three years. However, the EIJB has already admitted it is in a financially unsustainable position and faces making significant cost-cutting measures to remain viable.
Rachel Green, director of The Ripple Project, said the consultation process fell short of minimum legal standards. She told STV News: “There are rules and guidelines around consultation processes. They should be done for 12 weeks, and all of the responses should be carefully considered.”
The charity claims the board did not meet its obligations under the Public Bodies Act to focus on prevention and reducing inequalities. Ms Green added that this raised serious concerns about whether the consultation was a “fair and transparent process.”
The Ripple Project has now issued a pre-action letter to the EIJB, warning of a potential judicial review unless the consultation is re-run.
A draft of the strategic plan acknowledges the severe financial pressures faced by the board, stating: “The IJB has already had to make some difficult decisions about what services it can and cannot afford to provide.” Documents published by the City of Edinburgh Council also reveal a savings target of £31 million for 2025/26, rising sharply to £87 million by 2026/27.
Additional pressures include rising demand for mental health support, ongoing high costs in acute services, the closure of care homes and delays in achieving savings through block contracts.
Ms Green warned that the strategy could have damaging knock-on effects for local charities and vulnerable communities. “A strategy that does not put people first or prevention first will have a knock-on effect to communities, especially like ours,” she said.
A spokesperson for the EIJB confirmed: “We confirm that the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board has received a pre-action letter and will respond directly to the Ripple Project.”
