Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 10
10
Acknowledged
NHS systems recorded doubled deficit despite significant additional government funding in 2023-24.
Conclusion
NHSE received significant extra funding from the government during the course of 2023–24. This included £2.8 billion to support new pay deals for staff, and £1.7 billion to mitigate the impact of industrial action. Despite this extra money, NHS systems still finished the year with an aggregated £1.4 billion deficit, which was double the £720 million deficit in the plans NHSE agreed with them early in the year.17
Government Response Summary
NHS England and DHSC continue to work together to enable planning guidance to be published well in advance of the start of the financial year, and ideally before Christmas.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
1.2 NHS England publishes planning guidance as soon as funding is finalised and approval is received by Government, in recent years this has been actioned on the same day. NHS England (NHSE) and the Department of Health and Social care (DHSC) continue to work together to enable planning guidance to be published well in advance of the start of the financial year, and ideally before Christmas.