Health bosses whose books are millions of pounds in the red are being faced with a soaring bill for drugs next year across the Witham and Braintree district

North Essex Health Authority have been fighting to slash the £12 million deficit built up by doctors, hospitals and medical services, health trusts, responses to emergencies and reducing waiting times.

"It's like the credit card got out of hand," admitted chief executive of Witham, Braintree and Halstead Primary Care Group, Ms Jane Griffiths, speaking to Witham town councillors on Monday.

"We are working in north Essex and the north Essex economy over the years hasn't been good. We health organisations, GPs, hospitals, health trusts have always spent more than we had and have run up a deficit," she told them.

Now, the authority's current deficit is £4m - down from £12m - and they are planning to make the books balance by April of next year, says their financial director, Mr Phil Neale.

But the cost of drugs prescribed by doctors for patients across the Witham, Braintree and Halstead area is projected to reach £12m this year - and it could rise even further next year says Ms Griffiths. And the figure for prescriptions has not yet been allocated.

Speaking from her office after the meeting, she explained: "In this area we have a fast growing population and we have not only to think about being able to reach the level we prescribed for last year.

"All the time new drugs are coming out, for example we have to give flu injections to the over 65s rather than the over 75s, so every year there is more pressure. Population is also growing fast, particularly in Braintree.

The good news is that this government is actually putting more into the health service than we have seen for a long while. But we are faced with some difficult issues because we have to balance whether we put that money into hospitals or into primary care. Everyone has their part of the health service they want to see more money go into."

One call for cash to be spent in Witham came at the council meeting from former mayor, Cllr Tom Hewitt.

"In Witham we have a particular problem with people with learning difficulties being given equal access to health services and being integrated into the main stream. I would like to see support given to GPs and for staff currently working with patients at Bridge to be employed by the Primary Health Care Group," he said.

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