COLCHESTER’S hospitals have been “fined” £1.7million by the Government because more than 1,000 patients had to be re-admitted for extra treatment in the past five months The trust responsible for Colchester General Hospital and Essex County Hospital, must pay the sum because so many patients ended up being re-admitted within 30 days of discharge.

Of the total cases, all recorded between April and August, more than a quarter were re-admitted after failed operations and 68 per cent were failed non-surgical cases.

Three per cent of re-admissions had been patients on specialist women’s or children’s wards, while two per cent were cancer patients.

The penalties – imposed on the trust under a new Government “payment by results” system – are much greater than officials had expected. It had allowed for £1.1million for the first quarter of the financial year.

However, Mike Baker, the trust’s finance director, claimed the penalties were consistent with other trusts across the country.

He added: “The hospital’s financial performance is strong and ahead of plan, as recognised by the Government regulator’s financial rating.

“These refunds are budgeted and more than compensated for by improved performance, efficiency and quality improvements.”

The hospital trust recently failed to convince primary care trust bosses to press for the penalties to be reduced.

It argued its re-admission rates were among the lowest in the country. However, NHS North Essex, which pays for hospital treatment on behalf of GP practices, refused to cut it any slack.

A report on the issue was due to be considered by the hospital trust’s board of directors today.

Fines for re-admission were introduced in a Government scheme under which hospitals are paid by results, rather than by the number of patients they treat.

Beverley Oxford, a Colchester councillor for High Woods, was among those re-admitted, but feels the new scheme is unfair.

She had to go back in, ten days after donating one of her kidneys to her brother.

She said: “I think it’s a dreadful idea. In my case, I was re-admitted as a precaution. This could mean hospitals are less keen to do that in the future.

“Just because you ‘fine’ a hospital, it doesn’t mean future operations will be any better.

“It just means it loses money which could have gone to other services.”