West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust Chief Executive Estimates Years to Resolve Budget Deficit

The chief executive of West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (WSFT) has stated that addressing its financial situation could require “two to three years”. The trust informed the NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) of its difficulties in balancing its budget, with a “likely forecast outturn is a deficit of £28.5m”. Dr Ewen Cameron attributed the financial predicament to “not having made efficiencies over a long period of time” and ongoing staff recruitment. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) affirmed the government’s “committed to properly funding the NHS”. In its report, WSFT indicated that some services might need to “cease or be reduced,” alongside implementing controls on recruitment and the engagement of agency staff. Dr Cameron elaborated, “Over the years NHS trusts have been required to become more efficient and if that efficiency target is not achieved by changing how our services are delivered, you get a gap that grows between how much money you receive and the cost of delivering services.” Dr Cameron acknowledged, “We haven’t been as good as we’ve needed to be over an extended period of time.” He further noted that the trust is endeavoring to decrease reliance on agency staff, thereby lowering significant costs, and imposing controls on recruitment. Efforts are also underway to achieve “best value for spend” on products while simultaneously enhancing service efficiency. He confirmed that the hospital maintains adequate staffing levels, but certain services, including its Clinical Helpline, which facilitates communication between families and hospitalized loved ones, are slated for discontinuation. Additionally, a staff benefit providing free gym access will cease. Dr Cameron commented, “I think people are beginning to come to terms with the situation we’re in and in many cases working hard with us to resolve this situation.” According to Dr Cameron, pay awards, encompassing those for junior doctors and nurses, have had a “small impact” on the trust’s financial health. West Suffolk Hospital is among several hospitals scheduled for a rebuild by 2030, a project that the current deficit will not affect. The NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB is responsible for managing healthcare funding across the county. A spokesperson for the ICB stated, “We acknowledge the increased costs associated with the recent agreements on pay awards, as well as the statements on NHS funding given by the Chancellor in the Autumn Statement.” The spokesperson added, “At this point we are awaiting formal notification of allocations and operational guidance, which we require in order to assess the net impact on our system budgets for this and next financial years.” Adrian Marr, the director of finance at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which oversees hospitals in Ipswich, Felixstowe, and Aldeburgh, indicated that their trust also had to account for pay award settlements. Marr affirmed, “The trust is still on track to meet its financial plan at the end of the 2024/25 financial year with a planned surplus of £250,000.” He further stated, “We are working with our commissioning colleagues at the ICB regarding the implications of the pay award for staff groups that was announced by the Government earlier this year.” The DHSC spokesperson mentioned that the department recently allocated a £26 million boost for health and social care in the latest budget. The DHSC spokesperson also added, “We have been clear that funding must go hand in hand with reform and we will ensure every penny of extra investment into the NHS is well spent.” A spokesperson for NHS England in the East additionally stated: “NHS England continues to provide ongoing support to trusts and health and care systems in financial recovery, ensuring that patient care and safety is prioritised.”