Hospitals could end premium pay amid cash crisis

NHS TRUST MILLIONS SHORT OF BREAKING EVEN - AND COULD BE FACING £86.7M OVERSPEND

- By JOSHUA HARTLEY

NOTTINGHAM'S hospitals could end premium pay as the city's NHS trust falls behind on payments and to suppliers and predicts it could overspend its budget by up to £86m.

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Queen's Medical Centre and City Hospital, is so short of cash it is having to manage frustrated suppliers who are putting “key deliveries” for patient care on hold.

The NHS trust, which said in June that it would try to save £97m by cutting more than 400 jobs and taking other measures, could also be disastrously far off its break-even operating target by the end of this financial year.

Board papers explained it would “likely” be £19.7m off its break-even financial plan, but could overspend by £86.7m in the “worst case”.

The trust's £97m savings target could also be missed by around £31m, according to its own forecasts.