Avon and Wiltshire Partnership, had experienced a sharp financial decline, reporting a £9m deficit. Additional cost and income pressures, the latter a consequence of CCGs in financial distress, required a £20m CIP (over 9% of income) to meet its next year control total.

Operationally the bed base was overspilling into unfunded high cost out of trust beds; & the management team was managing a complex set of services consisting of 150 teams over two ICS footprints and over 90 sites.

SSG Health (predecessor of VOT Health) was paired with the Trust’s executive under the national Financial Improvement Programme. It was immediately necessary to manage stakeholder expectations, a £20m cost reduction effort needed a longer lead in time to achieve. The focus was to help the Trust convert its clinical strategy into an active implementation plan that would deliver care in the community and reduce higher cost inpatient care needs. This entailed a major engagement and workshop effort with staff, identification of project leads and change capability build.

Concurrently, Trust management was supported to increase non-pay savings; work up 25% back office reconfiguration savings; and improve flow. Grip over day-to-day spend was also tightened.

The Trust reported a return to financial balance the year after our support and reduced its in-year deficit to £1m.