20.09.12
Off-balance
Commissioners have been urged to take bold action, after it emerged that the NHS has almost £4bn of uncommitted finances following under-spends and savings.
For an organisation that has also managed to achieve considerable efficiency savings, £5.8bn this year alone, it is quite impressive.
Yet the number of trusts in deficit has grown alarmingly, and variation across the country is significant.
Rather than having savings for a ‘just in case’ scenario, surely this money would be put to better use rebalancing the NHS’s finances and bringing as many trusts as possible back into the black?
The surplus has been cited as necessary to allow flexibility in an uncertain future, which is eminently sensible. Yet the circumstances we appear to be waiting for are already here. If things are set to get worse, it still makes more sense to have the NHS as a whole more balanced and able to respond to future requirements.
Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly at [email protected]
Image c. Donovan