Edmonton MP Andy Love has voiced his concern at figures released today which show that the Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust tipped into deficit – to the tune of a staggering £16.9 million – in the third quarter of the 2013/14 financial year.
The figures, obtained from Monitor, the Trust Development Authority and the House of Commons Library, show that NHS finances have gone backwards in every English region since the General Election in 2010, and the worst deterioration has been in London, as well as the East of England, the East Midlands and the West Midlands.
In 2010, Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust had a surplus of £5.07 million. By 2012/13 it had dwindled to a surplus of £0.64 million and the latest available figures show a staggering drop of £21.97 million during the Government’s watch to a deficit of £16.9 million.
The figures come after reports suggest that Ministers are having to put emergency money towards stemming an unprecedented summer crisis in A&E and to tackle the growing backlog of operations.
Commenting on the figures, Andy said…
“It is now more apparent than ever that forcing through a £3 billion back-room reorganisation when the NHS faces the biggest financial challenge of its life was a huge mistake on the Government’s part and has left a number of trusts across the country in chaos.
“Locally this means that, if the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust takes over the Barnet and Chase Farm Hospital NHS Trust it will have the enormous task of addressing the underlying deficit, whilst ensuring that its first priority is protecting our service.”