THE HSE deficit for the year to date has reached €195 million, according to the organisation’s latest performance report, with hospital deficits now running at more than €120 million.
The collective deficit facing the State’s hospitals has grown by more than €20 million in one month.
The highest deficit is at the Mid Western Regional Hospital at Dooradoyle in Limerick, which exceeded its budget for the first five months of the year by €14.4 million, or 26 per cent.
Other hospitals that have exceeded their allocation are University College Hospital Galway, with a deficit of €8.7 million; Tallaght hospital, which has exceeded its budget by €7.6 million; and St Vincent’s University Hospital, whose budget excess stands at €6.3 million.
“It is clear after five months of data that some hospitals will run into serious cashflow problems if they do not take significant measures to bring expenditure down in the second half of the year,” the report notes. “Hospital deficits are being exacerbated by shortfalls in income billing against target and in some hospitals activity levels are up considerably compared with last year.”
Minister for Health James Reilly last month warned hospitals to stay within their allocated budget as no extra funding was available to them.
The HSE performance report for May shows a significant overrun in childcare service costs, which have already exceeded their budget to the end of May by €28.7 million. The report warns that this could run to €60 million by the end of the year if spending remained at current levels.
“In the event that deficits such as those in childcare and hospitals are not addressed, this will impact upon resources available to other care groups,” the report notes.
The nursing home support scheme, Fair Deal, is showing a deficit of €15 million to date this year, although it is expected that this will be eliminated through the provision of additional funding and increased charges as announced by the Minister.