FIGURES released today show NHS trusts in England racked up a deficit approaching £1 billion in the first three months of the financial year.

The statistics for April to June showed NHS foundation trusts had a deficit of £445 million, while other NHS trusts ended the first quarter of the year £485 million in deficit.

In Dorset, the Clinical Commissioning Group's Clinical Services Review is intended over the next few years to reduce the cost of healthcare provision, which otherwise is expected to lead to a county-wide funding shortfall of more than £200 million by 2021.

Currently both the Royal Bournemouth and Poole hospitals have deficits.

Regulator Monitor has the former under review for "a deterioration" in its financial position. The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust posted a £5.2 million deficit in 2014/15, predicted to swell to £12.9 million for this financial year.

Poole Hospital's deficit was £3.4 million in 2014/15 and is projected to rise to £6.7 million.

A spokesman for Poole Hospital said its current deficit was £2.6 million against a planned £3 million for the first six months of the financial year.

"We are currently delivering on the second year of a two year financial plan agreed with healthcare regulator Monitor," she said.

"We’re working with the commissioners on the Clinical Services Review.

"Also, jointly with other hospitals in the county the Trust has recently been approved by Monitor and NHS England as one of thirteen acute care collaboration ‘vanguards’.

"We have also implemented a cost improvement plan and are reducing the reliance on agency staff through recruitment, more efficient shift planning and working with our neighbouring healthcare partners."

The figures provided by foundation trust regulator Monitor - as well as a study of non-foundation trusts by the Trust Development Authority - have been described as the "worst" financial position "in a generation".

Some 118 of 151 foundation trusts and 72 of 90 NHS trusts in England were in deficit, and 75 per cent of those acute hospital or specialist trusts.

The main cause of overspend among foundation trusts was higher than expected costs for staff pay, with an "over-reliance" on expensive agency staff, Monitor said.

The NHS has been paying agencies up to £3,500 per shift for doctors, and the total bill for management consultants was more than £600 million last year.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced a cap on the use of expensive agency staff, which currently cost the NHS more than £3 billion.

Last month RBH chief executive Tony Spotswood told the Daily Echo the trust was struggling to find adequately qualified staff, although the number of consultants at the hospital has more than doubled in some clinical areas over the past few years leading to improvements in weekend cover.

Dr David Bennett, chief executive at Monitor, said: "Trusts are working hard to provide patients with quality care.

"However, today's figures reiterate that the sector is under massive pressure and must change to counter it.

"The NHS simply can no longer afford operationally and financially to operate in the way it has been and must act now to deliver the substantial efficiency gains required to ensure patients get the services they need."

Last year, NHS trusts and foundation trusts overspent by £820 million, and the total deficit for this financial year is predicted to top £2 billion.