NHS trust forecasting overspend of almost £50 million

The East Sussex Healthcare Trust, which includes Eastbourne District General Hospital and Conquest Hospital in St Leonards, overspent by £4.9 million in December 2015 alone.

It had predicted a deficit for the 12 months ending March 2016 of £35.2 million but that figure has now soared.

This is because of increased demand for services across the county and a surge in use of agency staff.

The predicted overspend is the highest out of the county’s three main hospital trusts.

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust is forecasting an overspend of £37.7 million against a plan for a £16.7 million deficit.

Western Sussex hospitals NHS Trust is currently forecasting a deficit of £6 million after originally planning for a small surplus.

East Sussex Healthcare interim director of finance David Meikle told a trust board meeting the budgeted overspend was £35.2 million.

He said: “We had seen it coming and we are doing our best to enhance the cost control environment.”

There have also been up to 200 bed blockers at any one time - patients fit enough to go home but they have nowhere appropriate to go. That figure has now dropped to 70.

This normally applies to elderly people waiting to go into a care home or needing community care to be able to return to their home.

Board member Barry Nealon said patient safety must come first.

He said: “We have got a grip on our control activity and we are being as rigorous as we possibly can, but we have control over what comes through our front door.”

The trust has the equivalent of 6226.53 full-time staff which is 167.37 above budget.

Agency staff expenditure was £3.667k in December which is 17.08 percent of total pay spend.

There are 479 vacancies in the trust.

Both hospitals have also been operating at black status in recent months.

This means there are literally no spare beds and the hospitals are working beyond maximum capacity, which has been adding to the pressure.