Health Foundation responds to NHS Improvement’s Quarterly Performance report

• Quarter 2 finance and performance figures out today confirm that NHS trusts have reported a deficit of £648m in the first half of this year.
• 60% of trusts (142) remain in deficit, which is a fall of 22% (40 trusts) compared to the same point last year.
• NHS Trusts are forecast to end the year with an overspend of £669m, with a target to bring this down to £580m.
• Over the course of 2016/17 there will have been an injection of £1.8bn of Sustainability and Transformation funding.
• Agency spend is £1.5bn to date, which is 16% above plan and suggests a year-end total of £2.7bn.
• Delayed transfers of care for the first half of this year were 35% higher than last year.

Anita Charlesworth, Director of Research & Economics at the Health Foundation, said:

'Despite an extra injection of cash, NHS trusts will have a mountain to climb if they are not to breach the end of year deficit target.

'The plan to reduce the deficit and improve performance against key waiting time targets over the second half of the year is highly ambitious. In previous years debts and waiting times have increased in this period as trusts deal with the increased pressures of winter.

'Despite the agency cap, spending on temporary staff is 16% higher than planned, suggesting that the lack of a workforce strategy is still hitting trust finances.

'NHS hospitals are part of a wider system of care, and are feeling the consequences of a lack of investment in social care. Delayed transfers of care are up by a third, with a lack of social care the fastest growing cause of delays. This is causing unnecessary distress and complications for vulnerable patients, as well as impacting on hospital capacity and finances.

'The Government must use next week’s Autumn Statement to address the urgent problems in social care, and bring forward planned increases in funding. Tackling the problems in the social care system cannot be delayed any further.'

Media contact

Jack Cutforth
Jack.cutforth@health.org.uk
020 7664 4623

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