27.01.2016
Healthwatch Croydon responds to announcement of Croydon CCG £18m funding shortfall in 2016/17
27/01/2016
Last week’s announcement by NHS England stated that the Croydon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is likely to receive £26 million (5.86%) increase in its core funding allocation to provide services for 2016-17. While the increase is welcomed, the CCG will still have an £18 million shortfall (-3.71%) by April 2017 compared with the average for London CCGs which is likely to be 1.93% within budget.
Charlie Ladyman, CEO of Healthwatch Croydon, the local champion for health and social care, said: “There seems to be quite a gap between what NHS England is offering and the amount that Croydon CCG says it needs. It is clear the CCG will need to take a careful and strategic look at how it commissions each service rather than rolling over contracts to current providers. At the same time, it needs to ensure it places patient benefit at the centre of its decision-making, as much as budget savings.
“While the allocation does take Croydon’s large population into consideration, with a rise of 4.66% or £1,554 per person, it does not reflect the diverse needs of London’s largest borough today, as presented in the recent Public Health report. We are concerned that this shortfall will ultimately impact patient’s accessibility and experience of health services.”
View page 5 for Croydon of NHS England’s core CCG allocation figures at:
www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ccg-allocations.pdf
View the public health report at: www.croydon.gov.uk/sites/default/files/articles/downloads/Annual%20Public%20Health%20Report%20for%202015.pdf
