Services cut to slash NHS debts

Southampton University Hospitals Trust runs Southampton General

Two Hampshire health trusts are making cuts to NHS services as they struggle under millions of pounds of debt.

Southampton University Hospitals Trust (SUHT) faces a £19m debt by the end of its financial year, with New Forest Primary Care Trust (NFPCT) facing £12m.

Total NHS debt across the whole of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will be nearly £59m by March.

SUHT said it had closed wards by streamlining services and NFPCT said it had cut staff and prescription costs.

In some cases, this has enabled us to close wards Southampton University Hospitals Trust spokeswoman

A spokeswoman for SUHT told the BBC News website: "The trust's deficit for 2004/5 was £11.5m.

"The deficit for 2005/6 is forecast to be around £19m, comprising £14m historic debt brought forward from previous years and a £5m overspending in the year."

She said "extensive plans" were in place aimed at restoring its "financial balance".

But having to meet national targets meant the trust had been forced to save money by "modernising services and becoming more efficient".

"In some cases, this has enabled us to close wards, for example in medicine, where our average length of stay has reduced by two days," she said.

The [New Forest Primary Care Trust] has a very stringent financial recovery plan in place News Forest Primary Care Trust spokeswoman

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the NFPCT said the £12.1m deficit was its target for the year and had not increased since the 2004/5 period.

"[The trust] has a very stringent financial recovery plan in place," she said.

"The plan involves reducing staff costs by 12%, including a 25% reduction in management costs, driving down prescribing costs, negotiating cost-effective contracts with our main hospital providers and imposing strict financial controls.

"This will require changes to some services, but these are designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of services for patients."

Hospital closures

She added that despite the overspend, the NFPCT had met key targets for reducing inpatient and outpatient waiting times.

The NFPCT was recently at the centre of a row along with the Eastleigh and Test Valley South Primary Care Trust over the closure of community hospitals at Hythe, Fordingbridge, Milford-on-Sea and Romsey.

Local residents held rallies against the proposed closures, which aimed to save the trusts money, resulting in a stay of execution.

The hospitals may now become "centres of excellence".

However, the Fenwick hospital in Lyndhurst remains closed.