Stafford Hospital facing £40million shortfall

Campaigners who are fighting to save services at the site have called the news 'a joke.'

The Weston Road base is being taken over by the University Hospital of North Staffordshire on November 1 - and chief executive Mark Hackett said the dire state of its finances is getting worse.

At the end of August the trust's deficit stood at £22.3m and Mr Hackett said it was spending nearly £4m a month over budget.

It comes after it was revealed that some agency consultants are being paid £1,900 a day to work at Stafford Hospital with bosses admitting they are struggling to recruit workers due to the hospital's reputation.

Mr Hackett has insisted that millions of pounds are being ploughed into Stafford to improve facilities and standards of care.

But he said the imminent takeover by UHNS faced challenges as the hospital is 'unstable'.

Mr Hackett said: "Stafford Hospital is this year expected to have a £40 million deficit, with £3.9m a month overspending."

He added: "In terms of what we are trying to create and achieve with the trust, we believe our vision will see the hospital deliver world class care.

"We want to rejuvenate the hospital but Stafford is a classic example of one that is clinically and financially unstable."

The maternity unit is expected to close in January, followed by the inpatient paediatric unit in March.

Campaigners say the overhaul of services in the wake of health secretary Jeremy Hunt's report in February this year is being rushed through too quickly.

And they have raised concerns over the future of the hospital as it continues to face a rising deficit.

Today Cheryl Porter, co-founder of the Support Stafford Hospital campaign group, reacted angrily to the news, but said she was not surprised.

She said: "It's a joke. A year ago, the hospital's deficit had been brought down to £8.5 million by the Trust Special Administrators from the previous £15m shortfall.

"Since then the hospital has faced a lot of uncertainty and we've lost a lot of staff as a result. Employing agency staff is a lot more expensive, and going through this whole changeover process has cost another £320 million, money which could have been spent on making our hospital better.

"In UHNS, we've been take over by a financially struggling trust with a bigger deficit that ours. Money that could have gone to Stafford is instead going to Stoke, Walsall and Wolverhampton to cope with our patients. It's all wrong."