Financial problems in the NHS are now 'endemic' and have deteriorated so significantly in the last year that the situation is untenable, says the Government's official auditor. In its latest report, the National Audit Office (NAO) says that two thirds of health trusts in England are now in deficit, and their total debt has almost trebled since 2015 to £2.45bn. The NAO says it is particularly alarmed by the decision earlier this year to transfer £950m from the NHS's budget for buildings and IT to pay staff's wages. MPs say the report amounts to one of the most critical assessments of NHS finances by official auditors, as their reports usually err on the side of caution. Meg Hillier, the chair of the public accounts committee, said health ministers assurances about closing the funding gap were 'pie in the sky assumptions'.
展开▼
