Greater Manchester’s NHS debt soars by £100m in just four MONTHS amid doctors' strikes and medication shortages

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Greater Manchester’s NHS has plunged a further £100m into debt - meaning the deficit has spiralled by more than £800,000 a day over the last four months, the Manchester Evening News can reveal.

The region’s NHS has said the reasons include ‘the ongoing impact of industrial action’ as NHS staff have been on strike for much of the last year, the cost of bank and agency staff needed to fill shortages, and the rising costs of both prescription drugs and ward beds for mental health patients.PwC accounting consultants have been brought in to oversee a ‘turnaround programme’ amid the financial trouble.

Greater Manchester's health and care services, including the region's NHS, was in an £86.5m hole as of the beginning of August, reported by the Manchester Evening News.

But in the four months since, that figure has grown by £100m – now standing at an eye-watering £186.5m, the health authority’s finance committee has explained today (November 7). READ MORE: Greater Manchester's NHS system is in £86.5m hole as national leaders forced to step in The region’s integrated care system (ICS) is responsible for paying for, planning and delivering Greater Manchester’s health and care needs, including most NHS services in the area.