Patients benefit from cuts, say NHS managers

'Food first' approach has saved £6.3m – and cut waiting times, councillors are told

- Phil Corrigan

CUTS aimed at saving £306 million are leading to better outcomes for patients, NHS managers say.

Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board's operational plan for 2025/26 includes savings across the local NHS organisations. The ICB itself is looking to save £83.3 million by redesigning services to 'remove waste or spend of low clinical value,' in areas such as continuing healthcare, mental health and prescribing. Senior managers updated county councillors on the plan’s progress after seven months.

Interim chief financial officer Claire Finn said the ICB is £10.3 million behind on its efficiencies, but this shortfall is expected to be recovered by the end of the year. Health and care scrutiny committee members were told that as well as saving money, the changes to services were leading to improvements for patients.