The gap between the financial performance of the strongest and weakest organisations in the NHS is growing, with some hospital trusts in “financial distress,” says a report from the National Audit Office.1

The report found that 34 NHS organisations—including 21 foundation trusts—ended last year with a debt totalling £356m (€446m; $553m).

A further 22 trusts would have also have ended the year in debt had the Department of Health not provided bailouts, show the figures.

Between 2006 and 2012 four foundation trusts and 17 NHS trusts needed injections of working capital from the health department totalling £1bn.

In this period the department pumped £356m …