THE £6BILLION BLACK HOLE IN NHS FUNDING
Experts warn of ‘impossible’ targets
THE NHS is facing a funding black hole of £5.9billion this financial year, experts warn.
The alarming deficit for 2017/18 is predicted after trusts crippled by the brutal Tory cuts spearheaded by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt overspent by £3.7billion last year.
Hospitals have been set a target of ending the period with a deficit of £500million – which the Nuffield Trust said they will find “almost impossible to deliver”.
A report by the thinktank on the cash crisis said: “NHS trusts have begun the financial year on course for an underlying deficit of £5.9billion. To meet their reported deficit target of £500million, they will need to cut their operating costs by £3.6billion and receive temporary extra funds of £1.8billion.
“This would require savings in one year equivalent to 4.3% of their operating costs – far in excess of any level achieved over recent years and likely to be almost impossible to deliver.”
Health regulator NHS Improvement said yesterday that hospitals had made a “strong start” in the first three months of this financial year.
But it warned that a challenging winter could heap further strain on overstretched sites that are already struggling to find beds for patients.
NHS Improvement chief executive Jim Mackey said trusts in England must “focus hard” on the beds issue – and more must be done “urgently”.
Anita Charlesworth, director of research and economics at the Health Foundation, added: “Longterm financial sustainability remains at risk without further investment, especially if total spend per head falls next year, as planned.”
Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth said: “This is the brutal reality of Tory underfunding and cutbacks. Theresa May says she wants to go on and on which can only mean patients suffer more and more.”
This is the brutal reality of Tory cuts and underfunding JON ASHWORTH SHADOW HEALTH SECRETARY
OUR most precious public service is in a life or death battle with a £6billion black hole threatening treatment for the sick.
The Tories have demonstrated their scandalous lack of concern with spending per patient in the NHS poised to fall in real terms.
Theresa May will have another reason to feel sorry for herself this winter if she doesn’t inject much needed resources.
Because we warn the Prime Minister that she will be held accountable for any health crisis created by a cynical Conservative Government which knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.
The NHS is crying out for extra cash and May must stump up – or make way for a PM and political party that would.