Small number of patients in Telford costing £500,000-a-year each in healthcare
A small number of patients are costing health commissioners in Telford & Wrekin up to £500,000-a-year in healthcare costs, it has emerged.
Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group's governance board was told about the financial pressures facing the organisation during a meeting yesterday.
Within the first two months of this financial year, the CCG's finances showed an overspend of £1.2m.
David Evans, chief officer at Telford & Wrekin CCG, said there were pressures from emergency care, ambulance activity and continuing healthcare.
He said: "We have seen a very small number of high cost cases this year."
Mr Evans told the board he knew of a patient who had moved into the area and required healthcare costs of £500,000 a year.
Jon Cooke, the CCG's finance officer, told the meeting: "We are potentially facing a risk for the year of £5.6m if we don't take appropriate action in managing these financial pressures.
"The risk is significant this year, more so than others."
Savings
A report to the governance board said work is under way to try to achieve the savings required over the next year.
In the report, deputy chief finance officer Laura Clare says: "An unmitigated risk of £5.6m for the CCG is significant and the lack of mitigating plans actually in delivery presents a very serious concern to the financial position.
"The CCG continues to work to mitigate this risk.
"We are working closely with our partners to identify potential efficiencies by looking at full pathways of care linked to opportunities identified through Right Care.
"In addition, we are looking at all areas of discretionary spend within the CCG for the potential to release further resources."
Telford & Wrekin CCG has previously been able to balance its books but the board was told the organisation faces a challenging year.
It comes amid plans to dissolve the organisation, along with Shropshire CCG, to create a new organisation that would be responsible for buying NHS services for the whole of the county.
Shropshire CCG has an historic deficit of more than £70m.
The plans have been met with controversy.
