Thousands of NHS patients face having their routine operations delayed so the health service does appear to be overspending.
Regional NHS boards have been forced to cancel or delay procedures in order to stay within annual budgets set by NHS England.
Estimates suggest that up to 140,000 patients could have their course of treatment altered in the money saving drive by the end of March this year.
Some of the planned surgeries have been delayed until the start of the new financial year, when the budgets reset.
Surgeons have warned that operating theatres will go unused while there are people awaiting operations.
Health secretary Wes Streeting has made reducing the NHS waiting list, which currently sits at 7.3million treatments, one of the Government’s top priorities.
But that effort is being hampered by the pressure on regional operators, known as integrated care boards (ICBs), across England, with many wrestling significant budget deficits.
There are 42 boards, each tasked with planning and funding the healthcare in their region.
Thousands of NHSpatients face having their routine operations delayed
Health secretary Wes Streeting has made reducing the NHS waiting list, which currently sits at 7.3 million treatments, a top priority
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NHS England was confronted with the situation last week and warned there is a deficit of at least £445million.
In order to meet budgets, ICBs have imposed caps on the number of surgeries local hospitals can perform.
Some trusts were warned earlier in the year that they would not be paid for treating more patients than expected.
Limits have been applied in Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Merseyside, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Somerset, Suffolk and north east Essex.
Most of those affected so far have been patients receiving treatment from private providers but funded by the NHS, such as the Circle Health hospital in Lincolnshire and the Spire Healthcare hospital in Nottingham.
Some who were scheduled to be treated in January have had their appointments cancelled and rebooked for April 1, when the new financial year begins.
The cap is not limited to surgeries, but includes other bookings such as outpatient appointments and scans.
Siva Anandaciva, director of policy at the King’s Fund think tank, told The Times that it is ‘perverse’ to limit operations in order to meet budgets.
He said: ‘It’s really hard to work out what the strategy is here because you’ve got the prime minister saying the number one target for the NHS is the 18-weeks target.
‘But you’ve got to question whether it really is the priority if you’re not willing to pay the money it takes to keep bringing down waiting lists.’
David Hare, chief executive of the Independent Healthcare Providers Network, which represents private hospital groups, said the NHS had been holding back treatments since the autumn.
He said: ‘As a result, we expect 140,000 fewer people will be removed from NHS waiting lists by the end of March than would have been the case if these NHS slowdowns were not being implemented — treatment which would all have been paid at the national price set by the NHS.’
The board for Cheshire and Merseyside has reported a deficit of £159 million and imposed caps on private providers.
Sean Fell, a spokesman for the ICB, told the newspaper: ‘Any patients affected by appointment changes will be contacted directly by their care provider.
‘We understand this may be worrying and want to reassure people that NHS Cheshire and Merseyside has asked providers to prioritise those with the greatest clinical need and patients who have been waiting the longest.’
A spokesperson for NHS England said: ‘NHS staff are focused on improving patient care by driving down waiting lists and delivering more care to more people than ever before.
‘The NHS is seeing and treating patients more quickly while handling record A&E attendances and GP appointments.
‘It’s vital the NHS lives within its means by spending taxpayers’ money well whilst improving services to ensure it is sustainable for the long-term.’
