A cash-strapped hospital trust in East Anglia could have to pay commissioners fines worth millions of pounds after missing patient targets.
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust could be fined £10 million by three Norfolk CCGs after failing to meet its targets.
Its contract with the commissioners is worth more than £280 million a year.
A cash-strapped hospital trust in East Anglia could have to pay commissioners fines worth millions of pounds after missing patient targets.
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust could be fined £10 million by three Norfolk CCGs after failing to meet its targets.
Its contract with the commissioners is worth more than £280 million a year.
The trust is facing a £14.4 million deficit this year and is in discussion with North Norfolk, South Norfolk and Norwich CCGs in the run up to the end of the financial year over fines and penalties.
It is the second year running the trust expects to be in the red.
It expects to reach an agreement with the CCGs in early April when the new tax year begins.
The penalties have mounted up from missed patient targets in A&E, cancer care and waiting treatment times.
The penalties are set nationally and are used to fund local services.
A spokesman for North Norfolk CCG, which is the commissioning lead said: ‘There are inevitably a small number of queries about payments made under such a large contract – these total a very small percentage of the total value.”
He said the trust was in discussion with the three CCGs over its queries and it was expected they would be resolved over the next few weeks.
The trust’s acting finance director Sheila Budd said it would be “very worrying” for its ongoing finances if the fines were imposed.
The trust and CCGs are also in dispute over a £790,000 payment over undisclosed services.
