Giles Watling, MP for Clacton, has questioned the Prime Minister on funding for NHS bodies.
In May, it was reported that NHS England and NHS Improvement East of England had called on its sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) to contribute around £5m each to bail out Cambridge and Peterborough STP, as it is facing a predicted deficit of £192m for 2019-20.
And unlike local authorities, which have a statutory, legal, binding obligation to balance their budget, the NHS is far looser on their financial rules and if this bailout goes ahead, funding for North East Essex CCG, which includes the Clacton constituency, will be reduced. Giles does not believe this is fair on local residents and has already written to health service leaders to lodge his concerns.
Giles also chose to raise this at PMQs on 19th June, the transcript of which is below:
Giles Watling MP
Unlike local councils, NHS bodies are not legally required to balance their budget on an annual basis. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough sustainability and transformation partnership is facing a deficit of £192 million and other STPs could be raided to bail it out. What would my right hon. Friend say to my constituents—including those in places like Jaywick, an area of deprivation that has extensive health inequalities—when they ask why their services should suffer to meet the deficits of others?
Prime Minister (Theresa May MP)
Of course we want to ensure that all health trusts and health services are operating properly within their budgets and are able to balance their books. What I would say to my hon. Friend’s constituents is that I am pleased that this Government have been able to increase the funding available to the national health service, and that will go towards increasing and improving the services his constituents are able to receive.