Report on HSSD finds no clear plan to stop another overspend

HEALTH and Social Services lacks a clear plan to stop another overspend in 2013, a report highlighting a series of problems with its financial control has said.

The independent report by health consultants Finnamore was ordered by States chief executive Mike Brown after last year's £2.2m. overspend.

It identifies a series of failings and problems at both political and staff level last year and following the election of the new board in January.

And the financial information available up to May showed the department was already £1.261m. off its budget target.

Assessing financial arrangements in 2012, it states there was 'inertia' when forecasts warned of cost pressures 'and a lack of will to control expenditure within the cash limit'. It blamed this on a belief from the board down that costs were driven by demands for services that could not be controlled and that the service was underfunded.