'Cosmetic' ops axed in £51m cuts

Four primary care trusts serving North Yorkshire will stop offering treatment for "cosmetic" procedures, such as varicose veins, in a bid to save £51m.

The trusts said they would ensure funds are targeted at areas of greatest need.

They said a small number of procedures will no longer be offered unless there was a strong case for an exception.

The trusts will also work with GPs to reduce referral rates to hospital and to cut the number of routine outpatient follow-up sessions.

Penny Jones, leader of the four trusts, said: "It has become increasingly clear that the four are living beyond their means, in other words planning to spend more on the health of local people than we receive from national funding.

Redistribute resources

"We have a responsibility to all our patients to get back into financial balance, and a great deal has already been done to keep our administrative costs under tight control, stop any non-urgent spending and not fill vacancies except where essential.

"We now need to address the underlying cause of our financial difficulties, and, where necessary, redistribute our resources to ensure they are targeted at people who need them most.

"We think most people will want NHS money spent in areas where clear benefits can be achieved."

The four trusts affected by the proposals are Selby and York, with a shortfall of £20.2m, Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale (£18.1m), Hambleton and Richmondshire (£7m) and Craven, Harrogate and rural district (£5.8m).