24.10.14
Deficit at Great Western Hospitals sparks investigation by Monitor
A £2.9m deficit at the Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has sparked an investigation by the financial watchdog Monitor.
The trust, based in Swindon, has predicted its finances will get worse over the coming year as its costs are increasing due to rising demand for services, in particular the accident and emergency department.
The decline in the trust’s financial situation, which last year saw a surplus of £240,000, mirrors the picture across the country, with foundation trusts in the first few months of the financial year running up a deficit of nearly £500m.
Laura Mills, deputy regional director at Monitor, said: “Great Western is facing a difficult financial situation, and we need to find out why.
“We are investigating to find out how we can help the trust to fix these problems, and whether we need to take further action on behalf of patients.”
The trust stated that it has put plans in place to reduce the deficit, but the remainder of the year will be a challenge.
However, it added that even with 600 more people attending its emergency department between July and September, compared with the same period last year, it managed to treat 96.7% of patients within four hours of arrival.
Nerissa Vaughan, chief executive of Great Western Hospitals NHS FT, said: “Along with many trusts across the country, we are experiencing financial challenges and are expecting to end the year with a £2.9m deficit. There are a number of reasons for this, all relating to an extremely high and ever growing demand for our services.
“This year we are working hard to manage a 15% increase in unplanned activity compared to last year, this means we are now treating around 300 more unplanned patients each month. At the same time, we are also spending money on agency staff, which is expensive, but necessary, to ensure we have the right number of staff, in the right places. However, due to a national shortage, recruiting nurses in particular is a real challenge.”
No decision has yet been made by Monitor on whether further action will be needed. The regulator will announce the outcome of the investigation once it is completed.
(Image: c. Barry Batchelor)
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