NHS trust pays off its £35m debt

Ipswich Hospital cut the length of time in-patients stay

A primary care trust that went more than £35m into the red is now debt-free after two years of cost control.

Between 2007 and 2008 Suffolk Primary Care, which had the seventh largest debt of all NHS trusts in the UK, managed its way into the black.

Managers have made their final £12m payment and are now looking at new investment in services.

Restructuring, the use of generic drugs and patients staying in hopital for shorter periods have helped cut costs.

The trust said it is now free to invest about £17m in extending and improving services in the year ahead.

Chairman Alistair McWhirter said the financial challenge was huge, but because of the hard work of staff, they have now put the debt behind them, and can report improvements in performance.