A hospital trust has been plunged further into the red because of the flu

crisis over Christmas and the New Year.

Trouble-hit Worthing and Southlands NHS Trust, which already faces going £3.7 million over budget by the end of March, spent £300,000 more than expected during the two-week period.

It is also unlikely to reach its waiting list target of 6,000 by the end of the financial year because of the high number of emergency cases at Christmas.

And the trust said there will be an extra strain on its budget following the Government's announcement that all nurses will receive a 3.4 per cent pay rise.

The news has caused concern to members of Worthing and District Community Health Council which is monitoring the situation.

The trust board insisted every effort will be made to provide a full service to the public and cut its non-emergency waiting lists, currently standing at just over 7,000, by December.

Trust chief executive Martin Smits said the trust had been forced to bring in extra beds to cope with demand and both hospitals had managed to deal with all patients coming for emergency help without anyone having to be turned away.

But he admitted the strain of dealing with the huge demand had a significant impact on its financial position.

He said: "We had no choice but to provide the service needed and our priority now is to catch up on the waiting lists as much as

possible."

Last year the trust considered closing wards to try to cut costs but stepped back from the controversial decision by deciding on a five-year action plan to save money instead.

This includes hiring fewer expensive agency nurses, keeping a tighter control on drug prescriptions and streamlining the invoicing system for private patients.

The trust also hopes changes to services at both Worthing and Southlands Hospitals will help cut running costs.

These include the opening of a new admission ward and children's centre at Worthing and the possible use of the Homefield Mental health unit when it is vacated by Worthing Priority Care Trust next year.

Mr Smits said: "In hindsight it is now a great relief that we did not close the beds as there would have been no way we could have coped over Christmas.

"The extra £300,000 will now have to go into a final overspend total at the end of March and the five-year action plan will help us to recoup costs."

The trust will be discussing the latest developments at a board meeting on Thursday.

A spokesman for the Worthing and District Community Health Council, said: "We understand the trust has a lot of financial constraints and it is working closely with West Sussex Health Authority to find ways of dealing with the situation. We shall monitor the situation to ensure that facilities for patients are kept at a high priority."

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