nhs lothian overspends by £5m

NHS Lothian has overspent by £5 million already this year as it tries to make savings of six times that amount.

The situation has been blamed on GPs spending more than they should on prescribing drugs, and the pressure of hitting waiting time targets.

Drug costs have shot up by 11 per cent this year, and the VAT hike at the turn of the year is likely to cost the health board an extra 1.5m.

The number of people leaving their jobs has also not been as high as expected, making cutting staff numbers more problematic.