HOSPITAL bosses have vowed to spend £22m less next year after figures showed the trust which runs FGH owes £233m to the government.

Latest figures reveal the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust was the fourth worst in the country based on the amount of debt owed.

UHMBT owes £233m to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) which represents 69 per cent of the trust’s overall turnover.

North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust owes £247m - the second highest amount to the government which represents 87 per cent of its overall turnover.

Trusts’ combined debts to the department reached £14bn by the end of 2018-19, with more than half relating to around 30 providers.

A DHSC spokesman told industry publication HSJ that trust expenditure is constantly monitored.

“We keep NHS accounts under constant review so we can support trusts’ plans to balance good finances with excellent quality care for patients” the spokesman said.

The trusts most in need of support told HSJ they are talking to regulators and the department about the potential for debts to be restructured, which could involve them being renegotiated or reduced.

UHMBT bosses have committed to cutting £22m from its expected costs for next year.

Keith Griffiths, director of finance for UHMBT, said: “As a trust, we have agreed a control total with NHS Improvement for 2019 to 2020.

“This includes the delivery of an ambitious £22million (approximately six per cent) Cost Improvement Programme (CIP).

“We will continue to work with partners locally, regionally and nationally to provide the best possible solution to the ongoing financial challenges within our health and care system.”

A spokesman for North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust said: “The long-term implication is that trusts recover their annual deficits and then use forward surpluses to pay off the debt… currently the trust is not aware of any potential for it to be written off.”