Minister says Staffordshire's heath deficits are 'unsustainable'

Health minister Philip Dunne made his comments in the House of Commons during a late night debate about healthcare in North Staffordshire.

He has been urged by county MPs to act to relieve pressure on the A&E at Royal Stoke Hospital, and help plug a funding hole at the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust.

The hospital trust has been hit with fines for not meeting funding targets.

Staffordshire MP Gareth Snell said Royal Stoke bosses have projected a deficit of £68.9 million at the end of the year.

However, he said 'the deficit is dependent on two other funding arrangements that have yet to materialise relating to the County Hospital'.

Stafford MP Jeremy Lefroy said UNHM should not ‘suffer’ for its efforts to help improve County Hospital.

Mr Snell, Labour MP for Stoke on Trent Central, said: "NHS England has promised £14.9 million towards the transitional fund to help Royal Stoke with the demands placed on it by the County Hospital and to help the people of Stafford to maintain the hospital that they want and so richly deserve, and a further £9.9 million was promised from the Department of Health, but that money has not materialised.

"That bill of about £25 million is one the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust needs and would like to have in order to secure the provision of health services for north Staffordshire."

However, Mr Dunne said Staffordshire is 'running unsustainable deficits', adding: "It is unfair that other parts of the UK should provide even more funding into Staffordshire, resulting in their not having sufficient funding to look after their own populations."

Mr Dunne said he has 'yet to visit [Royal Stoke], but would be delighted at some appropriate point to take up his invitation'.

University Hospitals North Midlands is one of three trusts in England placed in financial special measures in March.

It has to save £50m this financial year, £35m in the next and a further £35m in 2019/20.