NHS trust for West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds to slow recruitment and reduce agency spend in £16.5m savings bid

A hospital trust has said it is slowing recruitment as well as reducing spending on temporary and agency staff in a bid to make £16.5 million in savings.

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (WSFT) finished June with a £9.5 million deficit - £3.1 million more than expected - and has warned of ‘difficult decisions’ ahead.

Last week, Dr Ewen Cameron, chief executive of WSFT which runs West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, said they were in a ‘significant period of financial constraint and cost savings are critically important over the next three years’.

It is looking to deliver a Cost Improvement Programme (CIP) of £16.5 million which will look at better use of existing assets, procurement, waste reduction and workforce controls.

The trust said it is dealing with a challenging financial position due to many factors, including non-recurrent funding received during Covid-19, rising costs due to high inflation in recent years and costs associated with around two years of industrial action.

Jeremy Over, executive director of workforce and communications for WSFT, said: “Like many trusts across the country, we are dealing with a challenging financial landscape which requires decisive action to ensure we provide high quality and safe patient care while delivering best value for money.

“To get us back on a sustainable financial footing, we are working through a comprehensive cost improvement programme. This includes slowing recruitment and reducing our spending on temporary and agency staff where appropriate, improving our procurement practices and making efficiencies in how we operate.”

Last month, the trust recruited Jonathan Rowell, director of financial recovery, who will help the trust deliver the CIP during a 12-month secondment from NHS England.