§ Mr. WilshireTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the debts and overspending of the Ashford and St. Peters Hospitals NHS Trust. [117979]
§ Ms BlearsAshford and St. Peter's Hospitals National Health Service Trust is aware of the duty it has to ensure that sound financial management is practiced and also the need to achieve a break-even position at the end of the financial year.
The management of the trust is a matter for the local health community managing within the context of "Shifting the Balance of Power", local partnership and agreement. The underlying deficits will be resolved by the primary care trusts and the NHS trusts within their three year plans. This will be performance managed through the local development plan, which has been formulated by the Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority.