Community Links Workers (CLWs) supporting GP practices in the most deprived areas in Glasgow are to see their funding cut by a third, in a move that the ALLIANCE says will further widen health inequalities.

A new contract notice from Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) reveals plans to cut the number of full-time positions from 69.8 to just 42.

The national third sector intermediary for health and social care, the ALLIANCE, says this ‘funding crisis’, will hit the people who need their support the most.

CLWs provide non-clinical and mental health support to people facing a range of issues – including poverty, debt, housing, and loneliness – and are often based in GP practices in some of Scotland’s most deprived areas.

Introduced 10 years ago to help tackle health inequalities and minimise GP workloads, government attempts to increase the numbers of CLWs to at least 250 by the end of the last parliament struggled against staff shortages.

There are thought to be close to 290 CLWs in post across Scotland, with around 80% of GP practices having access to their services as of March this year.

Now, 28 CLWs in Glasgow alone are set to be cut.

Susan Young, Chief Officer of Operations at the ALLIANCE, is urging for cuts to this essential service to be reversed, or the city risks only further widening health inequalities.

“Community Link Workers are an essential lifeline for people in some of the most deprived areas of Glasgow, helping people to access services that improve their health and wellbeing.

“To cut this essential service now, will only further widen health inequalities, and we urge decision makers to reverse these cuts.”

The ALLIANCE’s Glasgow CLWs received 8,700 referrals and 31,700 appointments over the course of this year. They were able to provide support to people in areas of some of the highest socio-economic deprivation in the country while reducing pressure on GPs.

Last year, Dr Andrea Williamson, a Deep End GP serving some of the most deprived populations in Scotland, told healthandcare.scot she hoped to see every GP surgery benefit from CLWs, but that patients in deprived areas particularly benefit from the care:

“The input of CLWs has moved patient care on remarkably. One of the unifying things about CLWs is that they are interested in people and in supporting people.”

Earlier this year, the Health Foundation’s independent review of health inequalities found that people in the most deprived areas continue to be left behind, with the organisation’s Assistant Director calling for a “radical shift” to improve collaboration with communities.

At the first ever Scottish Community Link Worker Network (SCLWN) conference this year, Professor Gerry McCartney, lead research into health inequalities with the Glasgow Centre for Population Health, explained that CLW can’t solve health inequalities alone.

Professor McCartney added that it is important to maintain CLWs in work to tackle inequalities:

“We all can do stuff, particularly when we work together – if CLWs weren’t here, things would be worse, there’s no doubt about that. But can we fix it with just CLWs? Of course we can’t, we don’t want to be naïve, but we don’t want to be disempowering.”

Now, the ALLIANCE is urging Glasgow’s HSCP to review its decision as the funding cut will, it says, result in greater waits for appointments, worsening health and wellbeing and increased pressure on GPs and the rest of the NHS.

A spokeswoman for Glasgow City HSCP told healthandcare.scot they recognise the benefits CLWs bring to patients:

“We are committed to the continuation of the community links worker programme, given the considerable benefits it brings patients.

“We expect these practices in Glasgow will continue to receive support from a Community Link Worker.

“However, we are only able to agree contracts based on our known income from Scottish government at this time. Therefore it is anticipated some practices will see a reduction from a full time to a part-time worker come April next year.”

The spokeswomen for Glasgow City HSCP added they are continuing discussions with the Scottish government about funding for future years.

Read more: Inside Scotland's widening health inequalities; Can Scotland make health fairer?; Community Link Workers can't solve inequalities alone; Money matters for poverty and health in Scotland; Insight: Links workers' vital role; Analysis: Why people are left behind

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