Only 3% of NHS trusts failed to balance their books in 2007-8

Most NHS hospital and primary care trusts in England improved their financial performance in the last financial year, a report by the government’s auditors says, but some are still performing poorly and need to take “immediate action” to rectify faults.

The third such annual report by the Audit Commission shows that half of the 302 trusts assessed performed “well or strongly” in the use of their resources and that only 3% failed to balance their books in 2007-8. The report does not include foundation trusts.

The survey found that 282 (93%) of the trusts met or exceeded minimum standards for their overall use of resources. Trusts in the area covered by the …