Financial Recovery - East Sussex

In-Form Solutions were commissioned to support the Trust which had been placed into Financial Special Measures owing to its deteriorating financial performance. East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust is a £380m provider of hospital and community services with its main sites at Eastbourne and Hastings.

The work took place over a six-month period and aimed to embed a financial improvement and recovery ‘culture’ at the Trust through close working with service and clinical teams, the Finance Team and senior managers. In addition to the primary brief, support was also provided to the Trust’s Financial Improvement Director.

The key outcomes were:

• Project support to the Head of the Programme Support Office (PSO) in establishing and developing an effective PSO for the development and delivery of a 7% Cost Improvement Programme (CIPS).
• With the appointed Financial Improvement Director, the review and development of annual and longer-term cost improvement plans.
• Development of a robust Financial Recovery Plan and support to the delivery of those plans, including through clinical divisions ‘confirm and challenge’ sessions aimed at establishing ‘local’ ownership and accountability for activity, workforce, financial and CIPS plans.
• Review and advise on the role and best practice for the finance team to support the Financial Recovery Plan.
• Advice on the development of the financial management function to enable it to secure financial improvement.
• Advice and support the Director of Finance to ensure effective leadership of the FRP and handling strategies with NHS Improvement.
• Support at regular engagement sessions with NHS Improvement.
• Work with external advisors to develop robust and realistic savings plans.