The Trust must be fully accountable for its financial activities. To ensure this, we are required to publish a set of annual accounts which describe in detail the financial performance of the Trust for a particular year. Also published is an Annual Report which provides a detailed description of how the Trust has performed overall for the year in question.
In order to manage our finances, a financial budget is produced on an annual basis and approved by the Trust Board. This is presented every year in a Financial Strategy. We also need to monitor our financial performance during the year.
A Finance Report is presented regularly to the Trust Board providing an update on progress against the Trust’s financial targets and identifying where there is a risk of the targets not being met. The financial performance is also monitored by a Finance Committee, a sub-committee of the Trust Board. The minutes of the Finance Committee are presented to Trust Board.
Copies of the Finance Reports are available as part of the paper for each Trust Board.
To ensure that our finances are managed effectively the Trust Board have approved Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions for the organisation which are in line with regionally approved models.
These outline the processes by which we manage our finances and also outlines who is authorised to do what.
Our external and internal auditors review the way we manage our financial systems. They report to our Audit Committee, which is a sub-committee of Trust Board.
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Procurement
Purchase of equipment and supplies / Procurement
The procurement of goods and services for the South Eastern HSC Trust is managed and delivered by the Procurement and Logistics Service (PaLS), which is accredited as a Centre of Procurement Expertise (COPE).
PaLS is part of the Business Services Organisation (BSO) which provides a broad range of regional business support functions and specialist professional services to the whole of the health & social care sector in Northern Ireland.
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National Fraud Initiative
National Fraud Initiative (NFI) in Northern Ireland 2014/15 -Level 2 Fair Processing Notice
The South Eastern HSC Trust is required by law to protect the public funds it administers. It may share information provided to it with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds, in order to prevent and detect fraud.
The Comptroller and Auditor General audits the accounts of the South Eastern HSC Trust. The Comptroller and Auditor General is responsible for carrying out data matching exercises under his powers in Articles 4A to 4G of the Audit and Accountability (Northern Ireland) Order 2003.
Data matching involves comparing computer records held by one body against other computer records held by the same or another body to see how far they match. This is usually personal information. Computerised data matching allows fraudulent claims and payments to be identified. Where a match is found it indicates that there may be an inconsistency that requires further investigation. No assumption can be made as to whether there is a fraud, error or other explanation until an investigation is carried out.
The Comptroller and Auditor General currently requires us to participate in a data matching exercise to assist in the prevention and detection of fraud. We are required to provide particular sets of data to the Comptroller and Auditor General for matching. Details are set out in the Northern Ireland Audit Office’s website www.niauditoffice.gov.uk
The use of data by the Comptroller and Auditor General in a data matching exercise is carried out with statutory authority. It does not require the consent of the individuals concerned under the Data Protection Act 1998.
Data matching by the Comptroller and Auditor General is subject to a Code of Practice. This may be found at www.niauditoffice.gov.uk
For further information on the Comptroller and Auditor General‘s legal powers and the reasons why he matches particular information, see Level 3 notice on the NIAO website at www.niauditoffice.gov.uk For further information on data matching at South Eastern HSC Trust contact:
Brian Grimley
Financial Accounting & Governance Manager
Tel: (028) 9151 2054
Email: brian.grimley@setrust.hscni.net -
Standing Orders
Standing Financial Instructions are issued for the regulation of the conduct of the Trust, its members and officers in relation to all financial matters with which they are concerned. Together with the Standing Orders, Schedule of Decisions Reserved to the Board and the Scheme of Delegation, they regulate the Trust’s business.
They detail the financial responsibilities, policies and procedures adopted by the Trust and are designed to ensure that the Trust’s financial transactions are carried out in accordance with the law and with Government policy in order to achieve probity, accuracy, economy, efficiency and effectiveness.
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Charitable Donations
The Charitable Funds within the South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust represent income donated by the public and consequently carry a great duty of care in their administration. This income is generally donated in recognition of services received by the donor or the donor’s family.
The Charitable Fund Committee is responsible for the administration of the Charitable Funds; and is appointed by the Trust Board.
There are two types of funds, Specific and General:
Specific funds are used where a donor specifically requests that money should be spent on a particular purpose e.g. cancer research, diabetic research.
General Funds are used for expenditure as agreed by the Charitable Funds Committee to promote patient benefit and research within the hospital. All directorates are free to bid for funding from this fund; the Charitable Fund Committee will make allocations on an annual basis.
Gift Aid is a scheme, which enables charities to reclaim from the Inland Revenue the tax, which a donor who is a taxpayer, has paid on a donation. On completion of Gift Aid Form (R190 (SD)) the Trust will be entitled to claim from the Revenue a further 28%, which can be added to the original donation. (A donation of £10.00 becomes £12.80)
Staff at ward or Facility level will be happy to advise any member of the public who wish to make a donation.
Alternatively you can forward a cheque to:
Chief Executives Office
Trust Headquarters
Ulster Hospital
Upper Newtownards Road
Dundonald
Belfast
BT16 1RHTel: (028) 9055 3100
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Financial Plans
Savings Targets & Plans
In response to the budget published by the NI Executive in January 2015, the DHSSPS outlined that all its Arms Length Bodies are required to achieve significant savings in order to finance existing cost pressures and commitments.
In response, the Trust developed 2015/16 Savings, Targets & Plans. The purpose of this plan is to outline the position of the Trust within the overall DHSSPS financial plan. This plan was approved at the Trust Board meeting held on 25 March 2015.