The Herts County Health Scrutiny Committee heard with astonishment that the PCTs are planning on cuts in excess of £28 million in order to manage an expected deficit this year of £24 million.

County and district councillors were already suspicious that there were major problems when the PCTs failed to deliver a financial update paper in time for the beginning of the meeting.

Documents handed out during the meeting showed that the PCTs were already well off budget and are planning major cuts next year including:
– ‘acute trusts validation of activity and pathways’: £8 million
– clinical effectiveness, including treatments of limited clinical value: £3 million
– reduced payments to ambulance service: £3.5 million
– ‘reductions in secondary care activity’: £5 million

Chris White comments; ‘Clearly they had something to hide. They were keen to make sure that elected members on the Health Scrutiny Committee had the minimum chance to analyse and penetrate the jargon and ask searching questions.

‘It beggars belief that there won’t be front line cuts: when I asked whether any operations would be cancelled this year as a result they failed to answer.’

Nick Hollinghurst, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson, commented during the meeting: ‘It is very disappointing indeed that we are back again in financial difficulties even before the new financial situation starts to bite.
‘You gave reasons: some is due to work being brought forward. But there is another factor: the increase in emergency admissions. I find this disturbing. This is the poor management of chronic disease processes in the primary sector. If we could just get the primary sector to give better treatment to people with basic illnesses we would avoid stress and suffering – and costs.

‘The PCT must manage the process in the primary sector.’

Chris White also commented: ‘The cuts in payments to the ambulance service are disturbing. So is the evidence of current mismanagement – why are the PCTs paying for treatments of limited clinical value?’