£43.2m deficit is reported by BCCG

The BCCG has identified six areas of the organisation that need significantly strengthening. These are: leadership skills, business intelligence and data gathering, governance processes, strategy and planning, financial controls and performance management of its staff and healthcare providers.

The deficit has accumulated over a number of years and as a result the CCG has restated its accounts for 2013/14, recording a deficit of £12.7m for 2013/14 and a deficit of £30.5m for 2014/15.

Accountable officer, Nick Robinson said: “The work we have carried out over the past few months, shows the quality of the healthcare we commission is good and in many places excellent.

“We are also fortunate as a CCG in we have received a major boost in our funding for the current financial year - 2015/16 which gives us an extra £30m to spend on Bedfordshire patients.

“However, detailed analysis of our accounts has revealed fundamental weaknesses in the way we operate as healthcare commissioners, which we must put right if we are to commission sustainable health services for local people.”

The deficit was announced at the CCG’s governing body meeting held today, Thursday.

The CCG says it has started to address most of the issues by appointing a new interim accountable officer and chief finance offer, and developing the governing body’s finance committee, which now meets monthly to scrutinise the progress of the group’s recovery plan.

It has also been issued with directions from NHS England which includes producing an improvement plan and a financial recovery plan.