HSE cuts acute hospital funding by €200m

Acute hospitals will have €200m less to spend this year — an average 4% reduction per hospital.

However, reductions per hospital are not contained in the new format service plan published yesterday by the HSE as a replacement to the regional service plans of previous years.

Overall, the acute services budget has been cut from €3.9m in 2013 to €3.7m this year, a reduction described as “a challenge” by Ian Carter, national director of acute services.