Health authority still faces debt problems

Hospital closures have been ruled out

A Welsh health authority still needs to borrow more than £6m to balance the books, members are due to be told.

This is despite Dyfed Powys Health Authority getting millions of pounds of extra money for health services from the National Assembly for Wales.

Stuart Grey: Troubleshooter

The long-running financial troubles at Dyfed Powys are well known and its current deficit is £12m.

But despite getting an extra £20m to treat more patients in the next financial year, the health authority is still having to take out loans to keep going.

It is not the first time as it had to borrow £10m from the Welsh Office three years ago.

Now talks have been taking place with health officials at the National Assembly about more help.

The authority in turn expects the four NHS trusts to make significant savings and a new framework for the future shape of hospital services is being drawn up.

The new chief executive Stuart Gray has a reputation as something of a financial troubleshooter and has ruled out any hospital closures.