Basildon and Thurrock to take action to improve its finances

27 Feb 2015 10:08 AM

Monitor will review the finances of Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

An investigation by Monitor found the trust has shortcomings in its financial management.

Monitor launched an investigation into the finances of the trust in December 2014 because of concerns over its financial position. The investigation found that Basildon is breaching its licence to provide healthcare services on a sustainable basis by predicting a £20m deficit for 2014/15, and not having a realistic recovery plan.

The trust has agreed with Monitor that it will develop and implement a short-term recovery plan while the regulator carries out an assessment of the trust’s financial sustainability to identify how services for patients can be secured in the long-term.

In addition to these reviews, the trust has agreed with Monitor that it will commission an external review into its financial management to identify any failings that need to be fixed.

Monitor previously removed Basildon from special measures in June 2014 after the trust significantly improved the quality of its health services.

Laura Mills, Deputy Regional Director at Monitor, said:

We are pleased Basildon has agreed with us that it should take action to improve its finances and financial management, as we believe this is in the best interest of patients.

These steps should help the trust return to a stable financial footing. However, we want the people of Basildon and Thurrock to receive quality healthcare services for the foreseeable future, so we are taking a closer look at the trust’s financial sustainability.

The regulator will monitor Basildon’s progress in making the required improvements and won’t hesitate to take further action if necessary.