CCGs support plans to sort out QA Hospital's finances

Portsmouth Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) provides the majority of the budget for Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust (PHT), which runs QA in Cosham.

Speaking on behalf of the CCGs serving Portsmouth, Fareham and Gosport, and south eastern Hampshire Dr Linda Collie, chief clinical officer for Portsmouth CCG,: ‘All NHS organisations seek to live within the budgets they are given, but clearly this is hugely difficult at the moment – the health service is facing a dual challenge of growing demand for care and growing financial pressures.

‘The new leadership team at PHT is committed to stabilising its finances and the local commissioners are equally committed to support them in that work.

‘Regaining financial control is essential, and it is right that PHT intends to take a measured, long-term approach.

‘This is not just about cutting costs, but doing so in a way which protects crucial services, and which avoids merely shifting the financial problem to other organisations.’

Dr Collie said NHS organisations working together is the way forward.

‘All parts of the local NHS are already involved in working together to develop new ways of giving care to patients, which are far more joined-up than ever before,’ she said.

‘Ultimately it is this work which offers the best opportunity to control finance pressures and protect patient care.’