Manchester NHS hospitals debt totals £78m

According to a report by the BBC, NHS hospitals in Greater Manchester are collectively in £78 million of debt.

Figures show that despite enjoying a £74 million surplus in 2014-15, by the end of 2015-16 the hospitals were deep into the red.

Commenting on the findings, Professor Ruth Boaden, of Alliance Manchester Business School, said: "It is known that in Greater Manchester there are too many hospitals, there are too many sites and they can't all deliver a 24/7 service across the whole spectrum.

"There should clearly be some services in north Manchester without a doubt, but whether it needs full 24/7 A&E for even the most seriously ill patients is a different question."

Meanwhile, Professor Naomi Chambers, said there was a ‘challenge around balancing the books and ensuring safe care’.

She explained: "The solution is to have an honest conversation with the public about whether we want to increase the level of funding to the NHS to the average in Europe."

Currently, around 10 per cent of the UK's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is currently spent on healthcare - compared to 11 per cent and 17 per cent in Germany and the United States respectively.

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "Healthcare spending as a proportion of GDP is now above the OECD average and the NHS has a strong plan to balance the books, which we're supporting by helping hospitals to become more efficient, improve productivity and reduce the use of expensive agency staff."