The systematic and deliberate cash starvation of the NHS by Tory-led governments since 2010 has opened up an increasingly visible crisis, now leading to panic among management.
NHS providers in England could end the year a record £2.3 billion in deficit, according to the latest estimates from the King’s Fund, published last week.
The report – based on a survey of 83 NHS trusts - also found two thirds of them relying on extra cash handouts from the Department of Health, or digging into reserves to stay afloat.
