Briefing / NHS financial temperature check - July 2016

This briefing is the fifth in the HFMA’s series of NHS financial temperature check briefings and it provides a national picture of NHS finance directors’ and chief finance officers’ (CFOs’) views of the financial outlook and main challenges NHS finance staff are facing.

Finance directors and CFOs from nearly 200 CCGs and trusts from across the English NHS responded to our survey. The financial performance of the NHS continues to deteriorate across all sectors, with the trust sector deteriorating most rapidly. Trusts reported a combined £2,447m deficit for the financial year 2015/16, three times larger than the deficit reported for the 2014/15 financial year. CCGs reported a £16m overspend against their allocation for 2015/16.

The figures reported by NHS Improvement and NHS England make clear the scale of the NHS financial crisis. Many organisations, across all NHS sectors and in all parts of the country do not have the funding they require to deliver services in the way they would like to. More than one in five finance directors think the quality of patient services will deteriorate in 2016/17. Also, finance directors are not confident that joint working arrangements are strong enough to deliver the improvements that are required.

The temperature check survey results will be used to help HFMA understand developing finance issues and remain pro-active in the briefings and training that we provide to members as well as help HFMA to influence policy at the highest levels.

To accompany our briefing we have produced an infographic and presentation showing the key messages.