Government accused of ‘cover up’ over ‘delay’ in publishing NHS trust deficit figures

‘It’s a cover up to deny public true picture of the NHS,’ said Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth. ‘We demand full transparency so everyone knows the real state of the NHS when casting their vote’

Theresa May has also been criticised for allegedly failing to tackle the growing crisis in the health service in the Conservative manifesto (PA)

Government officials have been accused of a “cover up” over a reported delay in the publication of NHS trust deficit figures until after the general election.

The data, which will show the full scale of the deficit posted by trusts in England in the last financial year, had been scheduled to be published next Thursday – two weeks ahead of the election on 8 June.

But, according to the BBC, the figures will not be released as scheduled due to “purdah rules”, which ban the Government from making any kind of announcement about new or controversial initiatives or laws that could sway the outcome of the vote during an election campaign.

NHS Improvement, which expected to publish the figures next week, had estimated an end of a year deficit of £750-850m earlier this year, but it is predicted to exceed this.

The Independent understands that NHS Improvement made the decision not to publish the data ahead of the election after taking into account Cabinet Office guidance and a discussion with the Department of Health.

Labour’s shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth told The Independent: “The state of the NHS is the big issue of this election. We know waiting lists are getting higher and higher under this Government and many hospital trusts are struggling with their deficits.

“It’s a cover up to deny the public the true picture of the NHS. We demand full transparency so everyone knows the real state of the NHS when casting their vote.”

Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat’s health spokesperson, added it would be “wrong to try to hide this vital information” until after the public go to the polls on 8 June.

“The public deserves to know the scale of the financial crisis facing the NHS before they vote,” he added.

“The Conservatives are providing far less funding than independent experts have warned the NHS will need. The consequences will be dire for patients, with longer waits and lower standards of care.”

It comes after Theresa May was accused of failing to tackle the growing crisis in the health service, with a “smoke and mirrors” manifesto – published on Thursday – that has left future funding in doubt.

The British Medical Association (BMA) also criticised the Conservatives’ pledge to provide an extra £3bn for the NHS as it included money previously earmarked by the party.

“The extra £8bn touted in this manifesto for the NHS is smoke and mirrors,” said Dr Mark Porter, the chairman of the BMA council.