Funding fears as NHS struggles to cut costs

That is according a report by a council watchdog which warns of multi-million pound deficits at NHS trusts serving Kirklees, Wakefield and Calderdale. Hospitals and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) are expected to fall behind with their planned savings for 2017-18.

North Kirklees CCG planned for £15m of savings but is only expected to manage £9.9m.

A CCG spokeswoman said: “While the CCG’s current financial position is disappointing, we are working closely with NHS England to recover our position.

“We recognise the challenges we continue to face but also the significant progress we have made, and continue to make, in difficult circumstances.”

Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Pinderfields, Pontefract and Dewsbury hospitals, expects to have saved £15.8m by the end of the financial year, a shortfall of £8.9m.

A report to Kirklees Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Panel said: “This will mean the trust has delivered in excess of £30m of savings over the last two years. Although this represents a shortfall in overall delivery, it is still a significant achievement.”

Greater Huddersfield CCG was planning to make savings of £13.6m in 2017-18, but could miss the target by £5.6m.

The CCG said in a statement: “We are working closely with NHS England and have put robust plans in place to recover our financial position.”