Shropshire Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care System faces £130m overspend

The group said the overspend was due to factors including inflation and industrial action

NHS groups in Shropshire are facing a £130m overspend by the end of the financial year, it has been announced.

In April 2023, NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care System (ICS) had a deficit of £57.1m, but latest figures show it rose to £106.9m with predictions of a greater deficit.

Health bosses blame inflation, high demand for services, the cost of agency staff and doctors' strikes.

An ICS spokesperson said action was being taken to address the finances.

At an Integrated Care System briefing, bosses said patient care was based on need not money and the quality of that care would not be compromised.

'Disappointing and frustrating'

Everything would be done to try to reduce the deficit, they said, and tough decisions would have to be made.

Claire Skidmore, Chief Financial Officer for NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, said: "What we see in our forecast is borne out in our run rate, which is telling us that we are not going to get back to our planned position by year-end.

"That is disappointing and frustrating for us as a system, because we want to make strong progress with our financial recovery journey.

"We are taking action to address our financial position, while not compromising quality of care."

She added: "We know that 2024/25 will be a challenging year and we will need to consider what we prioritise to help balance the demands of delivering improvements in quality, finance and performance."