THE financial black hole facing the NHS for primary care in North Yorkshire and York has soared, according to latest figures.

The total debt at the end of the financial year 2017/18 for all of North Yorkshire’s clinical commissioning groups (CCG) came to £46 million.

The Vale of York CCG’s deficit stood at £20.1 million, compared with a planned deficit of just £6.3 million and one of £17.5 million the year before.

Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby’s CCG was £5.6 million in the red at the end of 2017/18, while Harrogate and Scarborough and Ryedale CCGs recorded deficits of £12.8million and £7.5million respectively.

A Vale of York CCG spokesman said this year’s figure was impacted by a one-off national prescribing issue that cost it an extra £1.9 million.

He said that without this, the in-year deficit would have been £18.2 million, largely in line with the previous year, thereby stabilising a recent deterioration.

“The focus in 2018-19 will be to consolidate progress made and continue to address the underlying causes of financial deficit to help achieve longer-term stability,” he said.

“The CCG has worked with all partners to agree a fully aligned set of activity plans with providers which will deliver the financial and performance recovery targets required to bring the system back into balance.”

Cllr Jim Clark, chair of North Yorkshire’s health scrutiny committee, said pressure on the NHS in the county stemmed from the NHS funding formula and the county’s high elderly population but money could be saved by merging CCGs.