West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust continues to slow recruitment as its CEO says its financial position is very challenging

A hospital trust with a predicted yearly overspend of £28.5m is continuing to slow recruitment as it takes 'rapid action' to control its finances.

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust’s (WSFT) challenging financial position has been outlined in the latest NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB), board papers.

The ICB said it is not currently assured that WSFT, which for the financial year to October recorded a deficit of 18.7m, will be able to deliver its financial recovery plan, agreed by its board last month.

As of October, the trust which runs West Suffolk Hospital, in Bury St Edmunds, said it was doing £1.8m better than anticipated with its recovery plan.

Cost-saving measures carried out by the trust, so far, include closing an award-winning clinical helpline, which closed last week, and ending free staff membership to Abbeycroft Leisure - from April 2025.

The staff psychology team service is also being reviewed, as WSFT tries to scale back spending.

Dr Ewen Cameron, CEO of WSFT, said: “While the trust’s financial position continues to be very challenging, we have taken rapid, focused and sometimes difficult actions to control our finances.

“I thank my colleagues for their hard work and contribution - there have recently been positive signs of savings through the efforts of colleagues, our cost improvement programme and the additional measures in place to reduce spend.

“Returning to financial sustainability is hard but necessary, and we continue taking considerable steps to get back on a sustainable financial footing.”

A spokeswoman for WSFT said it has multiple measures in-place to reduce spending and make savings.

The trust, which also runs Newmarket Community Hospital, said it is slowing recruitment and reducing the use of agency and temporary staff.

New clinical and replacement non-clinical roles now need to be approved by the ICB.

There is also a procurement panel that reviews all spending, contracts and optimisation of medicine.

The spokeswoman said the proposed financial recovery plan for 2025/26 is being finalised.

Jonathan Rowell has taken on the position of director of financial recovery, at the trust, on a 12-month secondment from NHS England.