asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the statement by a chief executive officer of a health board that his board will run out of funds before the end of the year and that a real problem will arise in December; and the steps he intends to take to ensure that such a crisis does not develop in any of the health board areas.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Health Board Funding.
43.
I am aware of the statement and, indeed, my Department, as part of their new cash management system in 1986, recently received data from all health boards on projected weekly cash flow requirements and bank balances for the remainder of the year. On the basis of this information a strategy in relation to cash and overdraft requirements for each board will be agreed to ensure that any potential crisis will be avoided.
Since 1 January 1986, the position in each board has been closely monitored and will be reviewed on a weekly basis hereafter.
Will the Minister fund any health boards who find themselves with deficits? Does he expect that some health boards will have deficits this year and does he accept that deficits of the eight boards may reach £30 million?
If the Deputy goes back to the earlier part of the year he will remember we had an outbreak of hysteria when the original applications were made. It is now the second week of November. With the Department of Health, I monitor the cash and bank balances of every health board every week. Some of them do not like that but it is being done. The same applies to hospitals. The Deputy does not refer specifically to the health board in question but I think he is alluding to the South Eastern Health Board. We shall ensure that their cash management will not get into a crisis towards the end of December.
Will it mean further cutbacks?
No. If the health board have a problem, one would have thought they would have let us know by now. We have only a short number of weeks to go before the end of the year.