London
North Central London
This ICB only meets quarterly, next in November (so this report is based on May and July board papers).
While the financial outlook for 2024/25 for London and across England is “extremely challenging,” NCL ICB’s financial performance in 2023/24 means that the historic c£100m debt inherited from the previous Clinical Commissioning Groups has been written off.
“This will be a significant boost to both the ICB and the system going forward.” (p10)
The System submitted a 2024/25 balanced [budget] on 2 May 2024. As part of this, the ICB initally submitted a surplus plan of £10.6m, followed by an additional submission on 12 June revising the required ICB surplus upwards to £14.6m. (p445)
This followed the report of a £38.2m system deficit at Month 2 of – £11.7m worse than the plan. The main drivers of the variance included
- Lower than anticipated demand for private patient services at the specialist trusts (GOSH, RNOH and MEH)
- High demand for outplacement services and increased use of medical agency at the mental health trusts.
- Underperformance on delivery of efficiency savings at M2.
Provider plans for 24/25 are underpinned by £205.6m of recurrent savings to be delivered representing 4.2% of the system’s influenceable income. (p450).
Full article on The Lowdown, 4 November 2024