Monitor has extended the deadline for foundation trusts to submit their planning submissions for 2015-16, in light of providers’ rejection of the proposed tariff for the coming year.

FTs will now be given until early to mid April to submit their draft plans, with a final plan due in May.

However, providers will still need to submit the draft activity elements of their annual plans by the original deadline this Friday, the regulator said.

Organisations that require interim financial help from the Department of Health must still submit full draft plans by Friday, according to a letter sent to all FTs from Monitor’s financial reporting and risk director Jason Dorsett.

Monitor said it extended the deadline to give consideration to providers’ other commitments such as year-end accounting.

Trusts have been given until 4 March to decide whether to accept a new “voluntary” tariff for 2015-16 or roll over current prices into next year.

The new proposal, revealed by HSJ last week, came after NHS England and Monitor announced last month that the original 2015-16 tariff offer had received objections from providers accounting for three-quarters of all tariff funded services.

Explaining the reason for the deadline extension, Mr Dorsett wrote: “In revising the final timetable we will seek to ensure that sufficient time is allowed before full draft plans are submitted; allow enough time between the draft and final plans for feedback to be responded to; and give due consideration to other commitments such as year-end accounting.”

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