Hospitals facing financial pressures ask for loans from the Department of Health

The Independent reports that a number of hospitals have applied for short term financial assistance from the Department of Health to cover a variety of expenditures, from utility bills to replacing and repairing equipment. 15 requests have been made in February and March this year, while 65 NHS trusts in England are already in deficit, with a significant percentage of finance directors expressing concern over their financial future in a recent survey.