26
May 2015
NHS finances in dire state
New figures released show that the NHS deficit rose to £822m in England at the end of the last financial year, confirming the dire state of the health service’s finances.
Many hospitals have been forced into overspending brought on by massive bills for expensive agency staff and rising patient demand.
Labour have warned that without more funding over the next two years, cuts would have to be made to staffing, services and beds, and said that the figures represented a “financial crisis”. The government has said that although it was aware of the challenges faced by the NHS, hospitals themselves needed to “show tight financial grip and live within their means”.
The health regulator Monitor has said that financial year 2015/16 is likely to be even tougher.
Although ministers have promised to increase the NHS budget by £8bn each year by 2020, the NHS in England will still have to find £22bn in “efficiency savings” by that date in order to keep services at their current level.
A spokesperson from the Department of Health said “We know the NHS is busier than ever and trusts are facing challenges; however we expect them to show tight financial grip and live within their means. We have backed the NHS’s own plans for the future by investing the £8bn needed to deliver it.”
Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham, has said “Without more money this year and next, the NHS will have to brace itself for a round of severe cuts to staffing, beds and services.”
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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), Medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
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