QUEEN Mary's Hospital slashed its overspend last year but there could be testing times ahead for its finances.

At the hospital trust's general meeting last week, finance director David Price warned Queen Mary's could be more than £14m in the red by the end of this financial year.

The Sidcup hospital had forecast an overspend of £6.3m at the end of March this year but had managed to bring this down to just £2.8m.

But changes made by Bexley Care Trust in the way it provides services for Bexley people have meant a reduction in the hospital's income by £4.3m.

Services such as diabetes, cardiology, anti-coagulation and some gynaecology, ortho- paedics and rheumatology are being moved out of the hospital and into health clinics and GP surgeries across the borough.

But Queen Mary's says it cannot make the equivalent savings in its costs.

The opening of the urgent care centre at the hospital, run by the care trust, has also reduced the hospital's income from its A&E department.

In addition, because of the uncertainty over its future, Queen Mary's has also decided to invest in additional nursing staff to keep up its high standards of care.

The care trust says it has had its own books to balance and says it has focused its resources on services which clinicians have said need change and investment, and brought them closer to patients' homes.

Care trust chief executive Anthony McKeever said: "It would be irresponsible to continually fund particular institutions because that is the way it has always been."

Meanwhile Queen Mary's and three other south-east London hospital trusts in Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham could be the first to be disbanded or merged because of their debts.

The Department of Health is consulting NHS trusts nationwide on plans to take control of failing trusts, which it says could save the NHS £200m a year.

The four trusts are on a national list of seven the department has already classed as "financially challenged".

Under the proposals, NHS chief executive David Nicholson would be able to declare the hospitals "unsustainable" and appoint an administrator to take over the trust.

A decision to merge or close the trust would be taken at the end of a four-month consultation process.

Mr Nicholson said: "In the rare cases in which a challenged trust fails to turn itself around, it is important there are clear processes set out to ensure services for patients continue to be provided."

Residents unmoved by emergency plans

SUPPORTERS have been holding vigils outside Queen Mary's Hospital and voicing their opposition to plans to strip the facility of its emergency services.

Hundreds attended a two-hour candlelit vigil last Friday night organised by Bexley Conservatives to show support for the Sidcup hospital.

Among those taking part were Bexley councillors, Bexleyheath and Crayford MP David Evennett and the London Assembly member for Bromley and Bexley, James Cleverly.

The following day, a political party set up to try to save the hospital held its own eight-hour vigil.

Members collected a 400-strong petition complaining about the consultation process which led to the decision to convert Queen Mary's into a non-emergency borough hospital.

Protesters from Independents to Save Queen Mary's Hospital, and others, carried placards detailing distances, travelling times and bed occupancy rates for the next nearest hospitals.

The decision to remove A&E, maternity and inpatient children's services from the Sidcup hospital has been referred to Health Secretary Alan Johnson.

The Independents are also trying to raise £75,000 to finance an application for a judicial review.