£112m NHS debt written off in Cov
A DEBT of more than £112 million has been written off the books of the trust in charge of University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire.
The government announced earlier this month it would “wipe the slate clean” on £13.4billion owed by English hospital trusts so they can focus on defeating the coronavirus pandemic.
Health secretary Matt Hancock said the new funding model for the NHS will allow hospitals to plan for the future and invest in vital services.
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust has had £93.2m revenue debt and £20m capital debt wiped off by the government.
Elsewhere in the region, Nuneaton’s George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust has had £91.1m of debt written off.
The Midlands as a whole has had £3.47bn debt written off NHS Trusts, the highest regional total in England.
NHS chief executive, Sir Simon Stevens, said: “We’ve advocated for and support this pragmatic move which will put NHS hospitals, mental health and community services in a stronger position - not just to respond to the immediate challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic, but also in the years ahead to deliver widespread improvements set out in our NHS Long Term Plan.”
Speaking at the time of the announcement, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “As we tackle this crisis, nobody in our health service should be distracted by their hospital’s past finances.
“Today’s £13.4 billion debt write off will wipe the slate clean and allow NHS hospitals to plan for the future and invest in vital services.
“I remain committed to providing the NHS with whatever it needs to tackle coronavirus, and the changes to the funding model will give the NHS immediate financial certainty to plan and deliver their emergency response.”