NHS trust could take years to balance budget - boss

Dr Ewen Cameron says tackling a £28.5m overspend has been necessary for the trust that manages West Suffolk Hospital

The chief executive of West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (WSFT) says it could take "two to three years" to resolve its financial situation.

The trust reported to the NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) that it was struggling to balance its budget and the "likely forecast outturn is a deficit of £28.5m".

Dr Ewen Cameron said the financial situation had come from "not having made efficiencies over a long period of time" - and continuing to recruit staff.

A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson said the government was "committed to properly funding the NHS".

In the report, WSFT said some services might have to "cease or be reduced" along with controls on recruitment and the use of agency staff.

"Over the years NHS trusts have been required to become more efficient and if that efficiency target is not achieved by changing how our services are delivered, you get a gap that grows between how much money you receive and the cost of delivering services," Dr Cameron explained.

"We haven't been as good as we've needed to be over an extended period of time."

The trust which runs West Suffolk Hospital has predicted a £28.5m gap in its budget for this financial year

Dr Cameron said the trust was working to reduce use on agency staff, reducing high costs and placing controls on recruitment.

It was also working to get "best value for spend" on products while improving service efficiency.

He said the hospital still had enough staff, but services such as its Clinical Helpline, allowing families to talk to loved ones in the hospital, would be scrapped.

A staff perk offering them free gym access would also end.

"I think people are beginning to come to terms with the situation we're in and in many cases working hard with us to resolve this situation," Dr Cameron added.

Pay awards including for junior doctors and nurses had had a "small impact" on the trust's finances, Dr Cameron said.

West Suffolk Hospital is one of several hospitals due for a rebuild by 2030 and the deficit would not impact this.

West Suffolk Hospital will be rebuilt after a significant amount of Raac was found in its roof and walls back in 2023

NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB manages the funding for all health care in the county.

"We acknowledge the increased costs associated with the recent agreements on pay awards, as well as the statements on NHS funding given by the Chancellor in the Autumn Statement," a spokesperson for it said.

"At this point we are awaiting formal notification of allocations and operational guidance, which we require in order to assess the net impact on our system budgets for this and next financial years."

Adrian Marr, director of finance at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which manages hospitals in Ipswich, Felixstowe and Aldeburgh, said it had also had to factor in pay award settlements.

"The trust is still on track to meet its financial plan at the end of the 2024/25 financial year with a planned surplus of £250,000," he said.

"We are working with our commissioning colleagues at the ICB regarding the implications of the pay award for staff groups that was announced by the Government earlier this year."

Funding and reform

The DHSC spokesperson said the department recently provided a £26m boost for health and social care in the recent budget.

"We have been clear that funding must go hand in hand with reform and we will ensure every penny of extra investment into the NHS is well spent," they added.

A spokesperson for NHS England in the East added: "NHS England continues to provide ongoing support to trusts and health and care systems in financial recovery, ensuring that patient care and safety is prioritised."