Turning the Royal Surrey around.  The Royal Surrey continues to strive extremely hard to turn itself around financially. Many savings are being made with most coming from a reduction in staff numbers and in expenditure on Agency, Bank and Locum staff. Nevertheless the deficit at the end of the financial year is unlikely to be substantially different from last year save for the expectation of a substantial financial injection subject to conditions laid down by NHS Improvement which continues closely to monitor the hospital’s progress. Times are really tough and that goes for all hospitals.

On the non-financial side NHS Improvement expects improved performance on A&E waits and cancer waits. My main concerns have focussed on cancer waits particularly the 62 day wait target from GP referral to treatment. The hospital performs very poorly in the area of urology a fact which I point out at every opportunity to push for more determination and detailed plans to sort matters out. I hope this is coming about. Some patients referred from other hospitals arrive at the Royal Surrey after much of the 62 day wait has been expended and sometimes after 62 days have already elapsed. This is a disgrace and requires strong representation to these offending hospitals at a CEO to CEO and Chairman to Chairman level which I will monitor to see that it happens. The relevant Commissioning Groups have a responsibility here also