East Kent’s beleaguered hospitals chief has described the challenges he faces with the trust plunged into deficit for the first time.

Chris Bown was parachuted in on a salary of nearly £300,000 to help save the ailing trust after it was condemned by health watchdogs.

He has since revealed the trust is spending more than it is bringing in – and will run at a projected £37m deficit this financial year but only if radical savings are made.

Unless £16m can be shed from its spending, the trust’s deficit is likely to be even higher, he admits.

Mr Bown has today revealed details of how he intends to make those savings.

He said: “We are having to use high cost agency staff. The premium cost is an aspect of why we are spending more than we are earning.

“Also, to meet waiting times targets for effective surgery we are having to contract out activity to the private sector.

“That comes at a premium cost.

“We need to reduce these costs in order to bring our spending down.”

Last year the Care Quality Commission placed the trust into special measures after revealing a culture of bullying.

Inspectors identified a “disconnect” between managers and frontline employees.

They also uncovered “serious failures in patient safety and leadership”.

Mr Bown said: “We are faced with a whole range of issues, in particular issues around culture, around bullying and harassment.

“We have had a subsequent inspection. That involved a full inspection again. 50 inspectors across five hospitals.

“That report is likely to be available in October. We will have to wait and see what that says.”

Mr Bown said the issue was one that his team were fully addressing.

“As regard to bullying and harassment, that’s something we are taking very seriously. We’ve established a culture change programme,” he said.

“We have got some way to go. It takes some time to improve. I’ve met 4,000 of the 7,500 people and those 4,000 are telling me that while there’s more to do there are signs we are moving in the right direction.

“Whether that comes through in the report, only time will tell.”