by Our News Desk

ORDERS for hospitals and health trusts to “leave no stone unturned” in making cutbacks were condemned yesterday for putting profit before patients’ lives.

Health service regulator Monitor has criticised NHS trusts for not doing enough to put a stop to huge losses, with current plans being branded “simply unaffordable.”

In a letter to the trusts, Monitor chief executive David Bennett suggested that vacancies be filled only where essential.

The letter came in response to the 152 foundation trusts in England reporting a £349 million deficit for the last financial year — 35 times more than the planned £10m.

It meant that the total deficit for trusts was £822m, with a huge over-reliance on contract and agency staff cited as the main reason for the overspend.

But NHS campaigners and unions warned against further cuts.

Keep Our NHS Public and Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign’s Dr Tony O’Sullivan, a consultant paediatrician, asked Monitor: “Who can decide what is essential?

“After over 10 years of efficiency savings, there are virtually no non-essential jobs left and an increasing bureaucracy to deal with the introduction of the market in the NHS, including tendering of services and the enforced competition between trusts.”

Royal College of Nursing general secretary Janet Davies warned that there should be no compromising on safe staffing levels, which could put patients at risk.

“Staffing levels are either safe or they are not, and this must be decided based on patient need, using safe staffing guidance,” she said.

“If staffing levels are decided by accountants rather than clinical staff, patient care will suffer.

“One of the main reasons for the growing NHS deficits is the increase in agency spending. A long-term solution is needed, training enough nurses so trusts can affordably provide safe staffing levels.”