Teams of financial specialists will be sent into the 18 NHS trusts facing the biggest financial problems, announced Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt on Wednesday. A further 23 organisations will also receive expert help to sort out their finances. The move follows an external assessment of 62 NHS organisations forecasting a significant overspend.
The 'turnaround teams' will be sent into the following trusts:
# Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust
# Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust
# Cheshire West PCT
# George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust
# Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust
# Hillingdon PCT
# Kennet and North Wiltshire PCT
# Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust
# North Sheffield PCT
# Selby and York PCT
# Sheffield South West PCT
# Sheffield West PCT
# Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
# South East Sheffield PCT
# Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
# The Royal West Sussex NHS Trust
# University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust
# West Wiltshire PCT
"The organisations that will receive intensive turnaround support account for just 3% of all NHS organisations but 26% of the total gross projected overspend,' said Hewitt, announcing the move. 'We have written a very big cheque for the NHS, but it is not a blank cheque. Money that is wasted or spent inefficiently means less for patients who need treatment."
There will be a second report on turnaround support later in the year.
Meanwhile, Hewitt launched a manual today (Thursday) to help guide the NHS reform process, which includes plans to get the NHS back in the black. The NHS in England: the operating framework for 2006/7, sets out plans 'to ensure the NHS recovers any overspend from 2005/06 and plans for a surplus in 2007/8," says the Government.