Fears over the growing cost of commissioners could throw a spanner in the plans of the Scottish government to introduce a long-awaited Patient Safety Commissioner.

A Bill proposing the creation of an independent Commissioner who will oversee patient safety across all healthcare settings in Scotland is currently being scrutinised by the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee.

MSPs heard last month from the lead of the UK-wide review into medicines and medical devices safety that having a dedicated commissioner was felt to be the only way to ensure the system could be held to account.

Baroness Julia Cumberlege, the chair of the review, said that the Bill is “extremely well put together and much more detailed and prescriptive” than the provisions put in place in response to her inquiry in England.

However, members of another parliamentary committee have raised concerns that appointing yet another independent officeholder could stretch the limits of the Scottish parliament’s budget.

The Finance and Public Administration Committee says the costs of establishing the commissioner – estimated by the financial memorandum to be £150,234, with annual running costs at £644,065 – mean other alternatives should be explored.

Committee convener Kenneth Gibson MSP wrote to the health committee, the lead scrutiny committee, last month to invite them to consider ‘a more strategic approach’ to the establishment of and resourcing for future potential officeholders.

There are currently seven independent officeholders supported by the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body (SPCB), and as many as seven more are currently envisaged according to the letter.

The SPCB told the finance committee in an evidence session: “When parliament was established, we had two [commissioners]. The fact that we could be looking at having 14 Commissioners means that we are looking at a considerable increase [in costs].

“The process is complicated, but we are moving into a period in which it is becoming regarded as a casual thing to suggest and implement the establishment of another commissioner, despite it being an expensive extension of our public sector."

Jeremy Balfour MSP’s final proposals for a Member’s Bill to establish a Disability Commissioner have now received enough support to be introduced to parliament, while a public consultation is set to open later this year on the establishment of a long-promised Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Commissioner.

Proposals to establish a Victims Commissioner, a Police Investigations and Review Commissioner, an Older People’s Commissioner, a Future Generations Commissioner, and HM Inspectorate for Education are also expected by the end of this parliamentary session.

Even without these additional officeholders, the cost of Scotland’s commissioners is set to grow at a significant rate.

The budget for every single Commissioner is set to increase at a far higher rate than that of the Parliament itself according to the 2023/24 draft Budget.

The officeholders’ budget submissions for next year total £16.6m, an 8.1% increase from 2022/23, while parliament as a whole is set to receive a 4.8% increase in spending.

Finance committee member John Mason MSP raised concerns at last month’s evidence session that increasing costs of commissioners means less money will go into front-line services.

The SPCB told the Committee that it is “acutely aware” of the increasing budget for commissioners.

Read more: Consultation on Disability Commissioner Bill; Powerful new advocate for patient safety proposed; Fears learning disability champion no longer priority

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