McCarthy unveils latest Health Trust deficit figures
Alliance Health spokesperson Kieran McCarthy MLA has revealed the latest deficits in each Health Trust as of the end of October. The information released following an Assembly question shows that the current deficit stands at £7.7 million, down from £76 million in September.
Kieran McCarthy MLA said: "This is very welcome news that the Health Trusts have been able to reduce their deficits by such a large amount.
"But this reduction must not come at the expense of the delivery of frontline services. While we all understand that each Government Department must live within their means, I would hope that the Department for Health was not trying to do so at the expense of life saving services.
"Just last week we had the news that patients were being made to wait on trolleys at the Ulster Hospital for over 24 hours, it would be totally unacceptable if this was due to them trying to save money.
"I would not want any corners being cut to any of the areas such as social services to reduce their deficits. Lives are more important than cash."
The Assembly question that Kieran McCarthy asked
AQW 1084/10 Mr Kieran McCarthy (ALL – Strangford)
To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the current financial deficits in each Health and Social Care Trust.
The latest available forecast 2009/10 financial deficits reported by Health and Social Care Trusts as at the end of October 2009, adjusted to take account of contingency plans that I have recently approved, other savings identified and anticipated funding, are as follows:
Adjusted year-end forecast
£m
Belfast (2.0)
Northern (3.0)
South Eastern (1.0)
Western (1.7)
Southern 0
NIAS 0
TOTAL (7.7)
Every trust has a statutory duty to break even over the course of the year and my Department, in conjunction with Health and Social Care commissioners, is working with the trusts in an effort to secure a break-even position in 2009/10.