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London NHS accused of £640m debt cover-up
Amy Iggulden, Health Correspondent10.12.07
The NHS in London is hundreds of millions of pounds in debt despite being on track to record a £300 million surplus this year.
Bosses have ordered trusts to defer more than £640 million in debts, including £351million owed to the Department of Health, meaning the deficit will not be cleared for years.
It comes after government figures showed the NHS in London is likely to have underspent by £300 million by April, following a year of cuts. Trusts have delayed operations, frozen staff recruitment and even refused to offer new mothers free baby milk.
At least 40 trusts predict saving millions while only 13 expect to be in the red. Some, such as Redbridge primary care trust, will have up to £18million in the bank.
Bosses were accused of hiding the true picture after it emerged that Hillingdon owed £46million despite appearing to break even.
Geoff Martin of London Health Emergency said: "This confirms our worst suspicions: that the extent of the real debt crisis has been covered up."
NHS London would not comment.
Reader views (4)
It's deferred so the incoming Tory Government will have to pick up the tab of course. This corrupt Labour government knows no shame! And they still have the nerve to lecture developing countries on the principles of good book keeping and democracy...ha!
- Vernon De Maynard, London UK
Looks like everyone can cook and got teeth allegedly.
Let me see which is greater £640million or an alleged £2.5 million?
Mis management is mismangement whoever carries it out black or white.
- Elizabeth Obisanya, Thamsemead
How can the NHS get into DEBT still amazes me. It's a public service, there to help the public. Debt means, fewer operations, fewer nurses, fewer doctors, fewer prescription drugs. But I bet the Chief executive of the trust will get a big bonus. Our NHS is getting no better than those third world countries, all to do with targets and not patient care. The government is manical about statistics and how it shows everything is better for us, when in fact 9 times out of 10 it's the opposite. I bet if all the armed forces, doctors and nurses were Labour supporters they would be no shortage of equipment, resources or postcode lottery. Give performance related pay for politicians, bet they don't vote on that...
- Barry, London
'Deferred debt', eh? So who will pick up the tab for that one then? Any of these 'bosses' likely not to get their huge 'performance' bonuses?
This is sheer deception, no more and no less. They are seeking simply to deceive the general public, and one wonders why that might be....
- Chuck Unsworth, London
