12.11.14
Short-term financial problems at Yeovil spark Monitor investigation
Concerns about short-term financial problems at Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust have led to Monitor opening an investigation.
The trust has been developing longer-term plans to improve how it works and to integrate care across South Somerset by working together with organisations including social services and GPs.
However, the trust’s short-term financial position has deteriorated and Monitor wants to understand exactly why the trust is making bigger losses than planned and what can be done to help fix it.
Paul Streat, regional director at the health regulator, said: “The trust is developing plans to deliver better care for patients by integrating services across South Somerset.
“Our investigation will look at the trust’s short-term finances and see how it can be improved to best support its long-term plans.”
A spokesperson at Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust told NHE that they have been in discussion with Monitor during recent months regarding a “worsening of our short-term financial position compared to the plans we set at the beginning of this year”.
She added that this is a direct result of the unprecedented and sustained increase in demand upon the trust’s services which it has experienced throughout this year, with the numbers of patients attending and being admitted to Yeovil Hospital far exceeding normal levels.
“We have a duty to provide each and every one of those patients with good, safe care and have therefore had to take appropriate, sometimes costly, action to ensure we continue to meet our responsibilities,” she said. “This has included opening, equipping and maintaining a ward which would normally only be operational during the most challenging winter periods. We have also had to spend more on staff to ensure safe and effective ratios of staff to patients.”
No decision has been made by Monitor on whether action will be needed. The regulator will announce the outcome of its investigation once it is completed.
Recently Monitor opened an investigation at Great Western Hospitals due to concerns over the trust’s £2.9m deficit.
(Image: c. Jakebradley55)
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