It is hard to follow Councillor Sue Galloway's argument about Selby and York Primary Care Trust's overspend (Letters, 21 March 2006).
She says the deficit is "£23 million and rising". In fact, the deficit was £32 million when the former chief executive was moved on, and the turn-around team led by the acting chief executive has had some success in bringing the deficit down.
Coun Galloway rejects the idea that the overspend was due to poor management. Last year the trust's budget was increased by £20 million, or six per cent more than inflation. This year it will rise by £50 million. The problem is not underfunding - it is how the extra money has been managed.
If it was all the Government's fault, as Coun Galloway implies, you would expect the problem to affect every primary care trust - but it doesn't.
The overspend is a very serious problem for us in York and Selby, and it needs a serious response from politicians. I have met the turn-around team and the chairman and chief executive of the Strategic Health Authority. I offered to support them and in Parliament this week too I pressed the Government to give the trust more time to clear the debt, to reduce the impact on NHS patients. I did not expect to be criticised for doing so.
Labour MP (City of York),
Holgate Road,
York.
Updated: 16:27 Friday, March 24, 2006
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