News / 12 more trusts may go into financial special measures

Two trusts have moved out of financial special measures, but NHS Improvement confirmed that it was considering placing a further 12 into the turnaround regime.

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Croydon Health Services NHS Trust were removed from the list of eight trusts in financial special measures in February. However, NHS Improvement chief executive Jim Mackey said it could extend the scheme to bring trusts that are currently not delivering their financial plans closer to their plan by year-end.

NHS Improvement will meet with 12 financially challenged providers to determine whether financial special measures support is needed to improve their financial position. It said its work with providers previously in financial special measures had helped identify £100m of savings. And its financial improvement programme, which includes 20 trusts and will be expanded to a new cohort of providers, had found a further £100m in savings.

The trusts removed from special measures were delighted with the announcement. NHS Improvement challenged the Croydon trust to reduce its deficit by £7m more than planned in 2016/17, while achieving more than £14m of agreed efficiency savings and maintaining care quality and agreed trajectories for emergency care. 

The trust is on course to achieve its agreed deficit control total of just under £33m at year-end.

Chief executive John Goulston (top, right) paid tribute to staff who had ‘worked tirelessly’ to increase efficiency without compromising care standards.

He added: ‘Our recovery plan was carefully developed, with all savings schemes checked by our senior clinicians to ensure that we did not compromise patient care or safety. We are on track to reduce the trust’s long-standing deficit by almost a quarter this year (2016/17) – but we know we need to keep a tight grip on money if we are to continue to make improvements.’

Norfolk and Norwich trust chief executive Mark Davies also thanked the organisation’s staff for their hard work. ‘We have designed and delivered this result together and I congratulate and thank every member of staff at the trust. This puts us on an excellent footing for the future.’

NHS Improvement launched a new wave of its financial improvement programme, inviting expressions of interest from trusts in February. Under the initiative, trusts pay for external consultant support to identify opportunities for efficiency savings.