Barts Health, the largest NHS Trust in Britain, has now released its deficit projection for 2016 – £135 million. The deficit is projected on financial savings of £105 million – which translates as cuts. The cuts are almost identical to the cost of servicing the PFI debt.
Adding to its problems are further Care Quality Commission criticisms of failing management, declining staff morale and serious questions after the merger of Barts and the London NHS Trust with, Newham and Whipps Cross NHS Trusts that created Barts Health.
The merger has gone too far to be unravelled without further wasting millions of pounds in investment and infrastructure already spent. The Trust Development Agency needs to act decisively and raise with the government alternatives to the PFI albatross.