Nottingham City Council could be facing an almost £10m hit to its budget should local NHS cuts go ahead – and a contingency plan is yet to be detailed by the authority.
The NHS in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire is facing significant financial challenges due to rising service demand, inflationary pressures, and increased operational costs across the system.
In response the Integrated Care Board (ICB) – which commissions services across the city and county – has already made £252m in savings across the system in the 2024/25 financial year.
This financial year, which began in April, it is planning a further £282m in savings.
The widespread cuts have left city councillors concerned that local authorities will simply be left to pick up the pieces once the dust settles.
In Nottingham alone there is now a possible £9.7m black hole should the ICB follow through with funding reductions for services it jointly funds alongside the city council.
Cllr Georgia Power (Lab), the chair of the city council’s health scrutiny committee said other changes have been and could be made further to preventative services – including a frailty service – that could impact the council’s budget down the line.
She said she was unsure what the council’s contingency plan was.
The council has yet to explain what its contingency plan is but a spokesperson said: “We are reviewing how to resolve the unfunded pressures with the ICB and any potential impact there could be on the council’s structural budget deficit.”
ICB cuts are already having and could have a further impact on numerous council services, including adult social care packages, mental health and disability support, and children’s social care packages.
The adults services and public health department is forecasting an overspend of £4.9m, but this could increase if the ICB slashes its financial support for jointly-funded care packages in adult social care.
According to the council the risk from ICB cuts is currently assessed as being up to a £9.7m pressure on its budget.
There is a further overspend of £4.5m in mental health and whole-life disability services.
The council’s learning disabilities and mental health services are overspending by £1m and £600,000 respectively, but these forecasts do include known and agreed pressures resulting from the ICB reducing funding in the current year.
ICB cuts are also impacting the council’s children’s and education service, which is currently reporting an overspend of £3.8m.
Reduced funding from the ICB for services in this department are included in the forecast. However the exact cost is not yet known, and the council says the pressure could be as low as £2m if ICB pressures do not materialise, but up to £8m if placement pressures are not reduced.
The council says the ICB recently carried out an eligibility review of the joint-funded care packages for children, and this has resulted in the withdrawal of contributions for several care packages, resulting in a forecast budget pressure in this financial year of £500,000.
Rosa Waddingham, chief nurse at the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), said: “The NHS is increasing spend in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire for 2025/26, but the demands on our services are rising. This means we need to make some difficult decisions about how we prioritise spending to ensure we achieve the best value.
“There have been no changes to eligibility for people who receive NHS continuing healthcare funding, but where people are not eligible for this we assess and fund identified health needs, usually as part of a broader adult social care package.
“This is supported by a Health Contributions Policy which was first implemented in June 2024 across Nottinghamshire and Nottinghamshire, supporting consistency and equity of access.
“This policy is clearer and ensures that our NHS budget is spent effectively on those who have the greatest healthcare need.
“We have a duty to deliver value for money for local people. A review into discharge services has shown that we can commission the same amount of hours more efficiently and we are working together with health and care partners to deliver this.”
• Bee-friendly bus shelters installed in West Bridgford
• Arrests after man attacked by group with an axe and other weapons
