NHS trusts hit record £1.6 billion deficit in six months

NHS trusts across England have run up the worst deficit ever recorded in the first six months of the year, with a combined shortfall of £1.6 billion for the period.

Based on current performance, trusts are predicting they will end the year £2.2 billion in deficit, according to Monitor, the government’s regulator for health services.

It said that more than half of trusts are not balancing their books, with 156 out of 239 of them recording deficits.