Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth and a GP, has welcomed news that £350 million pounds of historic debt will be written off at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust as part of the Government’s plans to tackle Coronavirus.
The Trust’s debt, the fourth largest in England, has been written off in a £13.4 billion move by the Department for Health and Social Care and comes alongside a new NHS funding model to make sure that the NHS has the necessary funding and support to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Dr Luke Evans said “A new government, a new funding model and a clean slate mean that our local hospitals will have the means to get through this pandemic and provide first rate care for years into the future.
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, said “As we tackle this crisis, nobody in our health service should be distracted by their hospital’s past finances.
“This £13.4 billion debt write off will wipe the slate clean and allow NHS hospitals to plan for the future and invest in vital services.”
Other local NHS Trusts benefitting from the debt write off are George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust who will see £91,109,00 remitted; and East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust who will have a debt of £14,013,000 written off.
Dr Luke added “This is a positive move no matter which of our local hospitals that you use. It enables them to tackle both immediate pressures and deliver on the Government’s long-term plan for the NHS. It shows the passion this Government has for our precious NHS.”