darent valley hospital

Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust is one of seven trusts set to receive a £1.5 bail out from the government over 25 years because they face “serious structural financial issues.”

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Health Secretary Andrew Lansley announced back in October last year that the Department of Health would provide ongoing support to a small number of NHS Trusts with historic Private Finance Initiative (PFI) arrangements that were unable to demonstrate the necessary long-term financial viability.

Making the announcement today (3) he said: “The NHS is delivering great results for patients but we know that a small number of NHS trusts with PFI arrangements have historic problems relating to these arrangements that make it very difficult for them to manage financially.

“Today’s announcement is the latest stage in a programme of work we began in 2010 to identify and tackle financial problems at local level in the NHS. In the past, local trusts have received extra funding on the quiet in order to avoid embarrassment. We have already signalled that we are determined to end these backroom deals by bringing greater transparency and openness to the process.

“We need to balance the accountability of the NHS at local level to live within its means on one hand, with recognising that there is a legacy of debt for some trusts with PFI schemes.

“And we need to be certain that those NHS Trusts that face historic financial problems are not taking their eye off the most important issue of all – maintaining and improving their frontline patient care.”

The seven trusts which face serious structural financial issues will only receive additional support from the Department of Health if they can demonstrate that they can meet four key tests. These are:

• The problems they face should be exceptional and beyond those faced by other organisations;

• They must be able to show that the problems they face are historic and that they have a clear plan to manage their resources in the future;

• They must show that they are delivering high levels of annual productivity savings;

• They must deliver clinically viable, high quality services, including delivering low waiting times and other performance measures.

The other six hospital trusts are:

• Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust

• South London NHS Trust

• Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust

• North Cumbria NHS Trust

• Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• St Helens and Knowsley NHS Trust

A Department of Health spokesman said: “Trusts must have in place local plans to achieve long-term financial balance, which will require other factors to be addressed, while continuing to deliver the best possible services for NHS patients. The funding will be provided in a transparent way that represents the best possible value for money for taxpayers.”