Target cost-cutting reductions not being seen, warns HSE report

THE LATEST HSE financial report, which shows a deficit of €298

THE LATEST HSE financial report, which shows a deficit of €298.7 million to the end of June, warns that the reductions required to achieve the targets set for cost-cutting for July are not being seen.

The report says that service expenditure across the community and hospital sectors is stable “but at too high a level”.

“There is no significant movement in community services expenditure month on month and expenditure is not exhibiting a downward trend.”

The community deficit at June 30th, 2012 is €61.5 million.

Hospital expenditure is also stabilising but not exhibiting the required downward trend, according to the report.

Activity levels remain above target in the hospital sector. “The hospitals deficit at June 30th is €151.3 million,” it says.

“The deficit in childcare has risen to €16.6 million in June, a €1.2 million change when compared to May 2012.

“This represents a slowdown of rate of spend but is not yet sufficient to address outstanding deficit,” it adds.

The report says Beaumont Hospital in Dublin had the largest financial deficit at more than €13.8 million. The Midwestern Regional Hospital in Limerick had a deficit of just under €12 million.

Galway University Hospitals had a deficit of just under €10 million. Tallaght Hospital recorded a deficit of just over €9 million.

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Martin Wall

Martin Wall

Martin Wall is the Public Policy Correspondent of The Irish Times.