The body in charge of purchasing health services in Bedfordshire has ‘lost control’ of its budget according to Bedford Borough Cllr John Mingay.
Two weeks ago the Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group’s (BCCG) Governing Body announced that it is expecting to record a budget deficit of £25m at the end of the financial year. However, at a meeting of Bedford Borough Council’s Adult Services and Health Committee on Tuesday evening the BCCG confirmed that this figure has risen to £28m.
Cllr Mingay, who is the Health Spokesman for the Council’s Conservative Group said:
‘I cannot understand how in just two weeks the BCCG has managed to add a further £3m to its expected budget deficit for this financial year which now stands at a staggering £28m. This discrepancy suggests the BCCG is struggling to understand exactly why it is losing money hand over fist.
‘The fact that the deficit estimate keeps going up suggests that it will not come down from the latest £28m figure. The appointment of a ‘turnaround director’ speaks volumes for severity of the situation.
‘The Committee was deeply concerned about the situation and the possible implications for services. The IVF budget has already been cut by 50% and I fear that more patients will have to bear the burden of an organisation which has lost control of its finances.’