NHS trust that runs Scarborough Hospital facing multi-million pound deficit
The NHS trust that runs York and Scarborough hospitals is facing a deficit of up to £31million amid a “very challenging financial landscape”.
The York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is facing a financial deficit of between £24million and £31million, health bosses have said.
It comes as the trust, which runs York, Scarborough, Malton and Bridlington hospitals, is undertaking an efficiency programme with a target of £55.3million, of which £27.7million has been achieved “in full-year terms, and the year-to-date position is £11.6million behind plan”.
At a trust board meeting on Wednesday (January 28), the recently appointed chief executive, Clare Smith, said: “We have declared to NHS England that we will not achieve financial balance this year.”
She added that it was “essential that we deliver our revised year-end forecast position if we are to avoid interventions from our regulator”.
The Scarborough Hospital site remains a source of financial issues for the trust, due to schemes “running behind”, including £9million from RAAC at the hospital and £1.3million from the first phase of the maternity roof replacement, as well as £1.9million from the refurbishment of York’s special care baby unit (SCBU).
A report presented to the meeting states that “currently, the main risk schemes for delivery are Scarborough Hospital’s maternity roof and York SCBU schemes due to agreeing decant of the services and commencement of enabling works”.
Andrew Bertram, the trust’s finance director and deputy chief executive, said there was “good news on the efficiency programme and we remain on track to deliver £35million of the £55million” efficiency programme.
A recent report highlighted that “there continues to be a risk that the estate’s structural issues at Scarborough’s Maternity Unit may result in reduction of service provision if there is further significant water ingress over the coming winter months”.
Concerns were also raised in the trust’s Maternity Safety Champions Annual Summary Report, which stated that staff were demoralised due to “the poor estate and environment of both sites, feeling embarrassed about how it looks to women, particularly in relation to the roof issues at the Scarborough site”.