Call for clarity on cost of NHS cuts

AN NHS restructure the Government has demanded that saves £32.5m in the North East and North Cumbria has yet to begin - as bosses say it is not clear how the costs of making people redundant will be covered.

- SAM VOLPE

The region’s integrated care board (ICB) commissions and oversees services across the patch. But amid huge NHS cost-saving as previously reported, the Government and NHS England have previously said no further money will be made available to facilitate the restructures and redundancies. Instead, the money has to be found from existing budgets.

A number of ICBs are understood to have raised concerns about this behind closed doors ~ but the North East and North Cumbria body broke ranks ahead of a board meeting last month and said it would not begin a formal process until there was clarity as to the cash needed.

The ICB has confirmed it has still to start any formal redundancy process - though it has invited staff to express interest in taking voluntary redundancy. The ICB has been told to reduce costs by £32.5m.