Winter pressures on NHS services in Cambridgeshire have sent local spending spiralling nearly £50 million over budget.
Local health bosses say the situation is “not sustainable” and blame increased demand for hospital services, rising drug prices and the costs of long term care.
Documents published ahead of a meeting of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) reveal it is forecast to have a £48.2 million overspend for 2017/18.
The CCG already had a agreed deficit of £15.5 million with NHS England.
Papers for the March 6 meeting of the CCG governing body show in the year to date spending at Addenbrooke’s hospital was £12.1 million over budget.
Figures from the hospital’s annual report reveal that the number of patients it treated between 2015/16 and 2016/17 rose by 5.9 percent from 993,397 to 1,052,046.
But in recent months there has also been an overspend at Peterborough and King’s Lynn hospitals and in GP prescribing, in community services and individual placements.
Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner said the Government had failed to heed warnings that the NHS was struggling with funding levels.
Article from Cambridge News, 2 March 2018