Daniel Zeichner, MP for Cambridge, has responded to today‘s announcement that Cambridgeshire and Peterborough CCG is forecasting a deficit of £48.2 million for 2017/18, exceeding the £15.5 million deficit agreed with NHS England.

The additional £35m cash deficit in the local NHS revealed today shows why the Prime Minister was wrong to ignore warnings given last year by NHS England, says Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner. The local CCG admits in papers published today that the local NHS has had to deal with more patients at Addenbrookes, unexpected additional costs of medicines, and costs associated with the ongoing crisis in the care system.

Mr Zeichner says: “Last year, the Head of NHS England, Simon Stevens, explained to the Government how much the NHS would require to meet current need. The Prime Minister chose to ignore him – now we see the consequences, which is a local £35m deficit. It is quite affordable – some £2 billion nationally, when the Prime Minister has personally squandered £20 billion in lost income from foreign students. But the Government needs to take responsibility, rather than pass the buck to local managers, and make the resources available to ensure that hard-working local health staff can carry on caring for patients.”

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough CCG will be publishing the Governing Body papers for a meeting that will be held in public on Tuesday 6 March 2018.