Greater Manchester's health and care services, including the region's NHS, is in an £86.5m hole, with the 'legacy of the pandemic', 'industrial action', 'increasing demand' and 'rising costs linked to inflation' named among the reasons for the huge debt.
The region’s integrated care system (ICS) is responsible for paying for, planning and delivering Greater Manchester’s health and care needs, including most NHS services in the area.
But the organisation is £86.5m in deficit in its third month of annual financial reporting – £66.5m below an already £20m anticipated shortfall, revealed at the system’s latest finance committee yesterday.
The shortfall has prompted ‘additional scrutiny’ from the national health service body, NHS England, which could become full-scale intervention if Greater Manchester does not demonstrate ‘fundamental improvements’.