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UCLH: ‘We’re owed a fortune’
FINANCE chiefs at University College London Hospital say they are owed money for thousands of treatments carried out earlier this year.
The hospital and the borough’s health authority, the Camden Primary Care Trust (PCT) are wrangling over cash after UCLH board members claimed last week the PCT is withholding payments for work carried out during the first six months of this year.
While the hospital claims cash is outstanding, representatives from the PCT say they have paid everything due for 2006 to 2007 according to their contract.
But UCLH chief executive Robert Naylor says this is not the case and has warned the situation could get worse.
He told a meeting of the hospital board last Wednesday: “There are some stories around the NHS where PCTs have run out of money and they are trying every trick in the book to get out of paying. This isn’t the case in London but we have to pay attention.
“We’re probably at a high risk – not that we don’t have a strong case – but that the PCT could run out of money.
“Of all the risks facing us in the second half of the year this is probably the biggest risk that I see at the moment because its quantum is unknown.”
The hospital has billed the PCT for procedures and treatments it claims to have carried out but the PCT remains to be convinced.
Although UCLH won’t disclose the amount concerned, board chairman Peter Dixon confirmed the PCT had spent up to £50 million with the hospital annually in the past.
A spokeswoman for Camden PCT said: “All payments due in the year 2006-07 from Camden PCT to UCLH have been made in accordance with the contract.” |
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