It has been given tens of millions of pounds in recent months
18:58, 06 Jan 2026Updated 19:52, 06 Jan 2026
The Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham(Image: Joseph Raynor/ Reach PLC)
The NHS trust that runs Nottingham’s hospitals has called for £70 million in extra funding as it fails to adhere to a drastic saving plan that involved cutting hundreds of jobs.
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Queen’s Medical Centre and City Hospital, is perilously short of cash and is having to request tens of millions of pounds each month from NHS England to keep operating, according to newly-published board papers.
The NHS trust, which said in June that it would try to save £97 million by cutting more than 400 jobs and other measures, has now said it expects to completely miss its break-even target.
The trust’s financial position has resulted in it repeatedly requesting extra cash from the Government, asking for millions in public dividend capital (PDC) over the last few months.
PDC is the primary way for providers facing “exceptional financial difficulties” to receive cash support, according to the Department for Health & Social Care.
NUH had been given £26.9 million in November, which it said temporarily alleviated pressure from suppliers who had not been paid for a while.
The trust requested a further £41 million of PDC cash in December 2025, but was only given £20 million.
It has recently requested another £70 million of support for the last quarter of its financial year, according to board papers.
National NHS leaders have asked a number of questions, including requesting a clarification on the number of job cuts needed, after this last request was made, the trust’s papers explained.
It overspent by £10.5 million in November, worsening its already poor financial performance.
The trust was £35.5 million off target for the year by October, which was the seventh month of its financial year.
Its leadership also admitted a plan to find efficiencies, which was supposed to save £57.4 million, was missing this target by £16.7 million.
Documents in November revealed that the trust was so short of cash that it was having to manage unpaid suppliers who had put “key deliveries” for patient care on hold.
It is the biggest employer in the city, with a more than 18,000-strong workforce.
The NHS trust’s documents for the Thursday, January 8 meeting of the board said increased staff and medicine costs were part of its money issues.
NUH’s papers said premium pay and temporary staffing costs were still high, with pay £30.6 million higher than target.
This was mostly due to the failure of cost-cutting measures that were supposed to save another £17.7 million and unplanned pay pressures such as the opening of an extra ward at Queen’s Medical Centre.
Operational pressures, like the use of beds on this ward and a high number of medically fit patients who could not be discharged, were “driving both cost and performance issues”, the trust added.
Paul Matthew, Chief Financial Officer at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “In 2025/26, we have had to make savings of £100 million while continuing to provide services for more than one million people each year.
“This has been extremely challenging and has required us to make difficult decisions, including limiting recruitment and reducing our non‑pay spending. Thanks to the dedication and hard work of our colleagues, we have delivered savings of £70 million so far and made significant progress in reducing our reliance on temporary staffing.
“Crucially, we have continued to deliver care for our patients in the face of increased demand while protecting our workforce from compulsory redundancies.
“We will continue to work closely with our colleagues and partners to ensure we use public money responsibly and provide the vital healthcare services our communities rely on.”