CUTS to spending on health and social care services in Argyll and Bute are due to be approved on Wednesday – but the board which oversees those services has already warned that more savings will be needed beyond those agreed this week.

The Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership's integrated joint board meets in Lochgilphead on Wednesday afternoon to agree its spending plans for the next two years amid an “unprecedented” need for change.

The board's quality and finance plan for 2017-18 and 2018-19 includes savings of £11.6 million over two years - but that still leaves a budget gap of £8.4m to be filled, and a need for £2.8m of as-yet unidentified savings in the next financial year alone.

And a report to be considered by the board on Wednesday highlights a “requirement to identify additional savings to produce a planned balanced budget position” - and says that more savings options will be brought back to the board for approval in May.

The board now faces a budget gap of £20 million over the next two years, slightly less than originally predicted, after both Argyll and Bute Council and NHS Highland provided extra cash for the partnership.

The budget report due to be considered on Wednesday at last sets out the areas in which the board plans to reduce spending to plug a budget gap of £11m in 2017-18 and £9m in 2018-19 – although most of the cuts are set out in general terms, without detail of exactly how the reductions in spending will be achieved.

The proposed cuts in the board's 'quality and finance plan' include a reduction of £200,000 in the amount the board spends on services and contracts with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde by £200,000,

The board's proposals also include redesigns of residential care, saving £300,000 in 2017-18 and £400,000 in 2018-19, children and families staffing (£300,000 over two years), learning disability services (£500,000) and considering alternative ways of delivering services for older people (£400,000).

Other areas where the board intends to reduce spending are through a full review of community-based mental health models, saving £500,000, rationalising its property portfolio and reducing the use of buildings for corporate purposes (£820,000), and cutting the costs of the area's alcohol and drugs partnership (£250,000).

Caroline Whyte, the board's chief financial officer, says in her report: "There are significant cost and demand pressures due to the nature of services delivered and this is likely to be a continuing trend in future years with an ongoing requirement to address a funding gap.

"The changes required to service delivery are significant and the transformational change can only be delivered if services have the appropriate time to plan and implement savings.

"There is a significant financial risk to the IJB and the council and health board partners as a result of the shortfall in identified savings.

"This risk will increase if the board takes the decision not to approve any of the service changes on the proposed quality and finance plan."