Financial future of the NHS still not healthy despite surplus, say MPs

doi:10.1136/bmj.39602.512685.4E

BMJ 2008;336:1267 (7 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.39602.512685.4E

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Financial future of the NHS still not healthy despite surplus, say MPs

Zosia Kmietowicz

¹ London

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Too many NHS organisations achieved financial balance in 2006-7by cutting services for patients, says a report from a crossparty group of MPs.

Although the Department of Health, which was under the stewardshipof Patricia Hewitt at the time, is applauded for turning aroundthe financial problems that engulfed the NHS in the previoustwo years, Edward Leigh, chairman of the public accounts committee,said that "the NHS is not yet travelling along the road to longterm financial health."

The financial performance of different types of NHS organisationsstill has large variations, and one in five continues to recorda deficit, says the report.

The MPs examined how the department managed to turn around anincreasing deficit in the NHS, which reached £512m ( ${euro}$ 650m;$1bn) for 2005-6, double that recorded for the previous year.