The Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust (Shropcom) agreed to produce an overall budget ‘surplus’ of £2million by the end of the financial year and the board was told that it is on course but the year will become “increasingly challenging”.
Andrew Morgan, who chairs the board, told a meeting this week that NHS England is keeping up the pressure on all trusts to focus on “money, waiting times, and urgent care” in the second half of the financial year.
Andrew Morgan, Chair in Common of both Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust and the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH). Picture: SaTH
In a report to the board Sarah Lloyd, Shropcom’s director of finance, warned that “the months ahead will become increasingly challenging, therefore it is vital that we do not fall behind against our recurrent plan in any month as recovering any shortfall will be difficult”.
Sarah Lloyd, Shropcom’s director of finance, digital and estates. Picture: Shropcom
But so far the trust has produced savings by measures including enabling its teams to go digital, and by “increasing productivity”.
Reporting figures up to the end of August, Sarah Lloyd said so far its budget surplus was £666,000 and it is on track to hit its £2m surplus target by the end of the financial year.
She told the board at its meeting in Telford on Thursday (October 2) that “no new risks” have been identified and they are “on track to do it”.
Shropcom’s board met at Meeting Point House in Telford on Thursday, October 2, 2025. Picture: LDRS
Board papers revealed that spending on agency staffing continues to be an issue which is “becoming more challenging as the year progresses”.
Shropcom has spent £1.12 million on agency staff after five months of the financial year – £216,000 less than planned.
But Shropcom has seen a higher level of staff vacancies than it was expecting and has spent £1.755 million on bank workers, which is £559,000 more than it was expecting.
It prefers to use bank staff rather than agency workers to fill staff gaps. But it has to make sure it does not compromise “patient safety”.
Sarah Lloyd reported that “after five months of the financial year, 64 per cent of the annual bank financial plan has been spent” in a area critical to hitting its overall financial targets.
Its staff vacancies mean it has spent £636,000 less on its “substantive staff”.
Figures reveal that the trust has spent £53 million this year so far with the vast majority of that (£39 million) on its staff being either “substantive, agency, or bank”.
The reductions programme accounts for some 5.3 per cent of its total starting cost base, the papers reveal.