Revealed: the investment funds diverted to shore up NHSE accounts
The November financial reset cleared most NHS priorities off the decks and placed the focus firmly on balancing the books.
As part of this exercise, ringfences around some dedicated funding pots were dismantled, while “sensible” underspends were permitted on “service development funding” and other programme budgets.
Now Following the Money has obtained a full list of the vulnerable areas, through a freedom of information request.
In primary care, funding for IT improvements, pharmacy integration and the “new to partnership” initiative, which supports staff to become partners, are on the list. Funding for asylum health is also no longer protected.
In mental health, funding for children and young people and schools’ teams is up for grabs – although adult crisis funding is protected because “investment should directly reduce pressures on acute urgent and emergency care”.
Other areas where flexibility is allowed include “community/keyworkers” funding for learning disabilities and autism, as well as investment in long covid.
The document does not list the full amount allocated nationally under each scheme, and the full scale of funding diverted elsewhere will probably only become clear later.
Hopefully any reductions in funding are minimal and short-lived, with the hope that full budgets can be restored in April.
The cash distribution across trusts is not far off medieval England with a few wealthy lords and a host of impoverished peasants.
Source: HSJ, 30 January 2024
Editorial note: The article links to a document setting out the programmes ICBs can target as part of cost cutting efforts. This includes every programme addressing ‘prevention and long term conditions’, for example the transformation programme which includes the NHS Long Term Plan tobacco dependence treatment services.
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