Bedford Borough Conservative Councillor Graeme Coombes has questioned the Chief Executive of Bedford Hospital on how he plans to bridge an £8.9m spending gap.

At the Council’s Adult Services and Health Committee this week, Chief Executive of the Hospital, Stephen Conroy was also asked by Cllr Coombes to explain why the Hospital has paid £4.2m in fines to the body responsible for organising local healthcare, the Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (BCCG).

Cllr Coombes, who represents Wilshamstead Ward said:

‘The Hospital’s finances appear to be in complete disarray. We are being told by the Chief Executive that it will take 3 years to reduce the deficit, which now stands at £8.9m this financial year, when they had budgeted for just a £4m deficit.

‘I was astonished to hear part of this problem is that the Hospital had paid a staggering £4.2m in fines to the Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (BCCG) for poor performance.  The Chief Executive admitted that whilst the BCCG could spend the proceeds of these fines on local healthcare, this would not necessarily target the Hospital’s services and he acknowledged that the funds have left the Hospital’s budget and are unrecoverable.  This is a significant sum that the Hospital can ill afford to lose.

‘It is essential given the pressures on the Hospital’s budget now and in coming years that an effective financial strategy is implemented to make services sustainable but there currently appears to be no strategy in place or any clear route to financial balance and bridging the spending gap. This is a disgraceful way to manage taxpayers’ money and no less than financial incompetence, which may result in poorer services for hospital patients.’