£52m cuts planned in healthcare for patients (From Echo)

£52m cuts planned in healthcare for patients

8:00am Friday 19th March 2010 in

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THE NHS is planning a £52.6million cut in healthcare funding for patients in Basil-don and Thurrock.

It is part of a radical package, designed to make dramatic savings and result in some patients treated in the community, rather than in hospital.

People with diabetes, chronic lung disease, heart conditions, and mental health conditions, including dementia, would be seen at their local GP practice or clinic, instead of at hospital.

The plans were announced as the South West Essex NHS Trust set a budget of £664.4million for the next financial year. About £20million of the cuts will be from hospital patient funding, with the rest affecting GPs, community care and dentists.

Trust chairman Derek Morrison said: “Ensuring we continue to invest in improved healthcare services can only be achieved in the current financial climate by taking some very tough decisions about priorities.

“This includes only investing in areas which are critical to meeting our targets and delivering a strategy which aims to ensure local patients are some of the best cared for in the country.”

The proposed budget comes on the back of a difficult financial period for the trust, which announced it had a deficit of £12million in January.

It needs to get back in the black by the start of the new financial year next month, to avoid possible Government intervention.

The trust is still waiting for confirmation it can draw back £16million from deposits it has made with the Strategic Health Authority to clear the deficit.

Jackie Brown, the trust’s director of finance, said she was confident it would balance its books before its final budget is approved by board members on March 31.