Concern over Wiltshire hospital cash (From This Is Wiltshire)

Outing members of NHS Wiltshire are wondering if the body taking over will be able to rein in overspending at the three big hospitals.

At a board meeting on February 27 executives were told that up to the end of January, budgets for services at Great Western Hospital, Royal United Hospital and Salisbury District Hospital were all overspent, due to the hospitals treating more patients than in NHS Wiltshire’s plans.

However, due to underspending in prescribing and drawing on reserves, NHS Wiltshire is forecasting it will end with a £2million surplus in March.

Non-executive director John Holden said: “Over performance in acute hospitals has been like that for six years and I just wonder how we get ourselves out of this. Is it going to be the same old story with the CCGs (Clinical Commissioning Groups)?”

Wiltshire CCG, a mostly GP-led body, takes over planning and buying health services from NHS Wiltshire in April.