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| NHS boards to be £43m over budget | NHS boards to be £43m over budget |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The seven new health boards which run the NHS in Wales are set to go more than £43m over budget, according to research by BBC Wales. | The seven new health boards which run the NHS in Wales are set to go more than £43m over budget, according to research by BBC Wales. |
| Six are forecasting a deficit for the end of their first financial year, with all under pressure to make savings. | Six are forecasting a deficit for the end of their first financial year, with all under pressure to make savings. |
| When they were set up in October 2009, Health Minister Edwina Hart said that they "must live within their means". | When they were set up in October 2009, Health Minister Edwina Hart said that they "must live within their means". |
| The boards control all hospitals and community services, GP and dentist funding. | The boards control all hospitals and community services, GP and dentist funding. |
| The new boards were created by integrating the 22 old boards - set up in 2003 based on council boundaries - with seven NHS trusts which were then running hospitals. | The new boards were created by integrating the 22 old boards - set up in 2003 based on council boundaries - with seven NHS trusts which were then running hospitals. |
| The new boards are responsible for deciding which treatments and services are available and they also have responsibility for ensuring hospitals meet targets on waiting times. | The new boards are responsible for deciding which treatments and services are available and they also have responsibility for ensuring hospitals meet targets on waiting times. |
| LIKELY NHS BOARDS OVERSPENDS 1 Betsi Cadwaladr LHB - Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham, Anglesey and Gwynedd - break even2 Hywel Dda LHB - Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire - £12m3 Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University LHB - Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend - £3.9m4 Powys Teaching LHB Powys county - £7.6m5 Cwm Taf LHB - Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil - £4.8m6 Cardiff and Vale LHB - Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan - £5.5m7 Aneurin Bevan LHB - Gwent - £10m | LIKELY NHS BOARDS OVERSPENDS 1 Betsi Cadwaladr LHB - Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham, Anglesey and Gwynedd - break even2 Hywel Dda LHB - Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire - £12m3 Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University LHB - Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend - £3.9m4 Powys Teaching LHB Powys county - £7.6m5 Cwm Taf LHB - Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil - £4.8m6 Cardiff and Vale LHB - Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan - £5.5m7 Aneurin Bevan LHB - Gwent - £10m |
| Research by BBC Wales into the latest combined financial position shows the seven boards have a running deficit of around £67m, which they forecast being able to bring down to £43m. | Research by BBC Wales into the latest combined financial position shows the seven boards have a running deficit of around £67m, which they forecast being able to bring down to £43m. |
| The overspend is set against the overall health and social services budget of nearly £6bn. | The overspend is set against the overall health and social services budget of nearly £6bn. |
| The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, serving north Wales, is the only one forecasting a break even position for the end of the financial year. | |
| However, it currently has a deficit of £10.4m. | |
| According to a spokesman, staff at every level were trying to "manage resources rigorously in the short term to give ourselves greater flexibility for the future". | According to a spokesman, staff at every level were trying to "manage resources rigorously in the short term to give ourselves greater flexibility for the future". |
| All the new health boards were actively trying to find ways of saving money before the end of the financial year. | All the new health boards were actively trying to find ways of saving money before the end of the financial year. |
| The Hywel Dda Health Board in west Wales is forecasting an overspend of more than £12m, despite the health minister having already cancelled £40m worth of debts linked to the former NHS trusts in West Wales. | The Hywel Dda Health Board in west Wales is forecasting an overspend of more than £12m, despite the health minister having already cancelled £40m worth of debts linked to the former NHS trusts in West Wales. |
| According to chief executive Trevor Purt, "actions are being pursued to improve the financial position further through the work of a dedicated sustainability team". | According to chief executive Trevor Purt, "actions are being pursued to improve the financial position further through the work of a dedicated sustainability team". |
| Overpsending | Overpsending |
| The Aneurin Bevan Health Board is forecasting an overspend of £10m, but has already put in measures which it hopes can cut costs in the long term. | The Aneurin Bevan Health Board is forecasting an overspend of £10m, but has already put in measures which it hopes can cut costs in the long term. |
| They include a new centralised booking service for radiology appointments, which covers all the hospitals in the area. | They include a new centralised booking service for radiology appointments, which covers all the hospitals in the area. |
| The service's manager, Marilyn Williams, said it was "a much more efficient use of our resources". | The service's manager, Marilyn Williams, said it was "a much more efficient use of our resources". |
| She said: "We had a "did not attend" rate of 9%, so that was 9% of our activity wasted. | She said: "We had a "did not attend" rate of 9%, so that was 9% of our activity wasted. |
| "We have reduced that now to 2% because patients have so much choice and are able to choose where they want to go and at what time they want to come." | "We have reduced that now to 2% because patients have so much choice and are able to choose where they want to go and at what time they want to come." |
| Overspending is an issue which dogged the previous structure of the NHS in Wales. | Overspending is an issue which dogged the previous structure of the NHS in Wales. |
| Professor Ceri Phillips, of Swansea University, said he thought financial pressures were going to become even greater over the next few years, so long-term changes have to be made. | Professor Ceri Phillips, of Swansea University, said he thought financial pressures were going to become even greater over the next few years, so long-term changes have to be made. |
| 'Still confident' | 'Still confident' |
| He said: "I think there's a realisation within the service that they cannot continue as they are. | He said: "I think there's a realisation within the service that they cannot continue as they are. |
| "They have to move forward with some of the proposals, especially the primary care strategy where the clear intention is to manage patients as close to their home as possible and not to rely so much on hospital attendance." | "They have to move forward with some of the proposals, especially the primary care strategy where the clear intention is to manage patients as close to their home as possible and not to rely so much on hospital attendance." |
| Since the formation of the seven new health boards, the only NHS trusts to remain are the Welsh Ambulance Service and Velindre Hospital in Cardiff, which specialises in cancer treatment. | Since the formation of the seven new health boards, the only NHS trusts to remain are the Welsh Ambulance Service and Velindre Hospital in Cardiff, which specialises in cancer treatment. |
| Despite the deficits being forecast by six of the seven boards, the Welsh Assembly Government say that they are "still confident that NHS Wales will again break even at the end of the financial year." | Despite the deficits being forecast by six of the seven boards, the Welsh Assembly Government say that they are "still confident that NHS Wales will again break even at the end of the financial year." |
| In a statement, a spokesperson said that the forecast "represents a point in time, and is less than 1% of the total NHS budget". | In a statement, a spokesperson said that the forecast "represents a point in time, and is less than 1% of the total NHS budget". |