NHS Trust refutes overspend claim

A Kent hospital trust has defended its financial record after a report claimed it still owes almost �17m.

The Audit Commission said it was worried the management of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust had no plan in place to meet the debt.

But the trust said any deficit at the end of the financial year would have been deducted from its next budget by the Department of Health.

However NHS rules state a trust must save the money until a surplus is made.

Managers said the trust's budget was reduced in 2002/03 by �4m, by a further �4m in 2003/04 and by �8.9m in 2004/05 to pay the previous year's deficit.

The trust then broke-even in 2004/05 and is expected to do so again this financial year.

The Department of Health is currently being lobbied to look again at he process.

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