A FOI request has revealed that a team brought in to solve spending in the NHS in London has gone over its budget.
The team who have proposed to close Lewisham Hospital’s A&E department leading to protests have also received “additional contingency funding” to help them with their work.
The London Evening Standard report:
The “hit squad” sent in to sort out London’s NHS spending crisis has overspent its own budget by more than £1 million.
The Government brought in the team after South London Healthcare NHS Trust (SLHT) racked up huge debts. But it emerged today that the special body has been granted an extra £1.1 million to deal with the problem, on top of the £4 million agreed.
The administrator hired to run SLHT and reduce its £65 million deficit is Matthew Kershaw, whose proposals to close Lewisham Hospital’s A&E have sparked widespread protests. Campaigners say his draft plans will increase journey times for patients and could put lives at risk.