Ealing reports a £1.5m deficit

This is £642,000 worse than the planned figure of £842,000.

Finance director David Gilburt attributes the increased deficit to challenges in achieving savings.

The trust is aiming to make savings of £10.5m. This represents a five per cent cost improvement programme.

Mr Gilburt’s finance report for May states: “QIPP challenges remain the significant factor towards the adverse variance.”

Mr Gilburt has calculated that if the trust’s finances continued on the trajectory indicated by month one the final deficit could be £17.5m. In the report he wrote that this prediction demonstrates “the key challenge to deliver the QIPP schemes.”

The trust originally predicted an £8.9m deficit for 2013-14. However, this was reduced to £1m in January because of £7m of funding from the trust development authority and as a result of turnaround actions by the trust.