Debt-hit East Kent NHS trust shows progress

The trust runs hospitals in Ashford, Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone and Margate

A Kent hospital trust is showing signs of financial progress after overspending by £45m last year.

East Kent Hospitals Foundation Trust is working on reducing its deficit, having been labelled one of the “most challenged” NHS bodies in the country.

Papers for a board meeting last week showed the trust had a deficit of £23.7m in July, against a planned deficit of £23.9m by that point.

Documents said the trust had reduced its spending on agency staff in nursing and midwifery.

A trust spokesman told the Local Democracy Reporting Service “tight financial controls” were still in place.

He said: “Income from patient care is higher than planned so far this year and the trust’s temporary staffing costs are lower than planned, which has contributed to the improving financial position.

“However, the trust still faces a number of cost pressures and so tight financial controls remain in place while it works to fully eliminate its deficit.”

The trust had been successful in recruiting staff on a permanent contract, which had reduced reliance on agency staff, he said.

The spokesman said the trust had a planned end of year deficit of £88.5m, which it was on track to meet, and it was "working to eliminate its deficit over the next three years".

'Lack of appointments'

Ken Rogers, chairman of Concern for Healthcare in East Kent (CHEK) and former governor at East Kent Hospitals for nine years, said: “If you can actually stabilise and save the money through efficiency that’s brilliant.

“I don’t think that they could be in a position to say they’re giving excellent patient care because what they’re doing is trying to save money.

“I think that where patients now are suffering is the lack of appointments, GPs and waiting times.”

However, the NHS trust spokesman said: “The programme designed to improve our performance in 2024/25 demonstrates that it is possible to deliver better quality, safer care, whilst also being financially sustainable.

“We are delivering more clinical procedures than last year, reducing the number of longest waiting patients and improving the quality of care we’re providing, at the same time as reducing our monthly deficit.”