East Renfrewshire Council’s health and care arm, the CHCP, has been rocked by revelations of financial blunders in recent weeks.

Now a new finance system, designed to eliminate any chance of similar mistakes being made again, has been delayed by six months.

This comes after the authority announced it had taken the decision to shake-up the Community Health and Care Partnership (CHCP).

The CHCP looks after social and health care centres and staff within the authority, however it has recently been rocked by claims that it overpaid more than £1.2 million in taxpayers’ money to third party care providers.

It was claimed that some payments were handed over despite the client no longer receiving care, or even having passed away.

An internal investigation has been ordered by Julie Murray, the current director of the CHCP who will continue her role in the re-structured body.

However a finance system, which began implementation in 2011, has seen its delivery date pushed back by twelve months.

Councillor Vincent Waters was critical of the delay when it was detailed at a meeting of the council’s Cabinet on Thursday.

He said: “The NHS has transferred hundreds of thousands of medical records to a new system in less time that it has taken this council to transfer these financial records.

“I think it is ridiculous that it has taken this long.” However, members Julie Murray, who was present at the meeting highlighted limited staffing as the main reasons for the delay.

She said: “This has been an incredibly large job, with many of the records being transferred from the old spreadsheet based system to the new one by hand.

“It is extremely time consuming.” The troubled service be re-named the Health and Social Care Partnership as of next week.

The change follows new legislation from the Scottish Government.

A spokeswoman for East Renfrewshire Council said: “An Integration Joint Board has been set up to oversee the plans and work of the new HSCP. It will work with locals, organisations and professionals to set out how East Ren should best use the money and resources available to provide the health and wellbeing services that residents need.

“Director of East Ren CHCP, Julie Murray, will become the chief officer of the new organisation.

“East Renfrewshire already has many integrated services. It has been leading the way with integrated health and care for the last nine years with a Community Health and Care Partnership between East Renfrewshire council and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.” The new East Ren HSCP is also urging residents to have their say on the future of health and social care services taking part in a survey at https://getinvolved.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk