HEALTH trusts in east Suffolk have today reached a crucial turning point in their battle to pay off multi-million pound debts.Overspending, which once stood at a rate of £2000 every hour, has stopped and inroads are being made in to the huge debts from previous years.

HEALTH trusts in east Suffolk have today reached a crucial turning point in their battle to pay off multi-million pound debts.

Overspending, which once stood at a rate of £2000 every hour, has stopped and inroads are being made in to the huge debts from previous years.

A report which was due to go before the board of the Suffolk East Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) today shows that they saved £17.4m in the last financial year.

Carole Taylor-Brown, chief executive of the PCTs, said: “This is a tremendous achievement for everyone involved and shows our financial recovery plan is working.

“I'd like to express my thanks to all members of staff, GPs and colleagues for all their hard work in making this achievement possible.”

Some of the ways money has been saved include:

Prescribing cheaper drugs

Sending less people to hospital and treating them in the community instead.

Reducing the number of staff by not employing new people when others left.

Cutting back on staff training.

Reducing the number of people sent out of Suffolk for specialist treatment.

However, the PCTs still have debts of £19.3m which they need to pay back within the next two years.