Waltham Forest Faces NHS Funding Concerns and Staff Cuts Amidst Broader NHS Challenges

Waltham Forest is facing potential NHS funding cuts and staff reductions, according to reports presented at a recent Outer North East London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting.

The meeting, held on Tuesday, 8 July 2025, included health updates from Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT), North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT) and NHS North East London (NEL). Councillor Ajanta Deb Roy raised concerns about the allocation of £3.3 million in funding to seven GP practices across North East London, none of which were based in Waltham Forest, and asked what methodology was used to allocate that funding. Matthew Treanor, Chief Executive of Barking, Havering and Redbridge Trust, responded that he could not answer on the GP side but knows the ICB will write about that, and that they are trying to keep substantive redundancies to an absolute minimum and are using significant numbers of bank and agency staff.

NHS North East London (NEL) is facing a 50% reduction in resources, prompting a review of critical functions and strategic commissioning, according to Matthew Treanor, Chief Executive of Barking, Havering and Redbridge Trust, who provided an overview of the ICS in the absence of Henry Black. This reduction is part of a national blueprint for Integrated Care Boards (ICBs).

Integrated care boards have been asked to cut their resources by 50%, and are working through how to manage that reduction, said Matthew Treanor, Chief Executive of Barking, Havering and Redbridge Trust. He added that the ICB is working to understand the new NHS 10-year plan, which focuses on greater use of digital technology, and its role in delivering that plan.

Adding to the financial strain, BHRUT ended the previous year with a £31 million deficit and is seeking £61 million in savings this year. These savings are planned to be achieved by reducing spending on agency staff and high-cost contracts, according to Matthew Treanor, Chief Executive of Barking, Havering and Redbridge Trust.

Councillor Ajanta Deb Roy questioned what a significant reduction in admin staff will mean for patients and residents from across outer London having access, as it is already very difficult to get hold of anybody on the phone. Matthew Treanor, Chief Executive of Barking, Havering and Redbridge Trust, responded that NHS managers sometimes get a bad press, but there is stuff that needs doing in a hospital that involves managing estates and facilities, IT, finance, and recruitment, and that it is best not to use a very expensive consultant to arrange the patients that are coming into a clinic.

Despite the financial challenges, BHRUT is the best-performing trust in London for seeing and treating people within 18 weeks, and all cancer performance targets were met in April, according to Matthew Treanor, Chief Executive of Barking, Havering and Redbridge Trust. The trust is also set to launch an electronic patient record system in September, which is expected to improve efficiency and patient safety.

Councillor Richard Sweden asked about the sleep apnea implant being installed at BHRUT and whether those working in social care and discharge have access to the digital patient records. Matthew Treanor, Chief Executive of Barking, Havering and Redbridge Trust, explained the sleep apnea treatment and stated that there are restrictions on who can access the full record, but there are ways to share information with people in primary care and social care.

The committee requested a written response to the question about the UMF funding.

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