Fears for patients as HSE is €89m over budget for 2012

Seriously ill patients could be set to face even deeper cuts to their care after it emerged the HSE is already €89m over budget for this year.

Figures revealed in the health service’s latest performance monitoring report show planned expenditure this year, and outstanding deficits from 2011, have resulted in the system struggling to stay within budget by the end of February.

According to the figures, within the first two months of this year total hospital overspend stood at €49m and community services overspend at €29.3m.