Debt at the hospitals trust which runs Whipps Cross Hospital has swelled to the biggest ever recorded.

Barts Health trust, which runs six hospitals including Whipps Cross in Leytonstone, has posted a forecast for the end of the year of a £93m deficit.

This has risen from £39m in June last year.

With a turnover of £1.25 billion and a workforce of 14,000, Barts Health is the largest trust in the country.

A recent £1.1bn Private Finance Initiative (PFI) project by the trust saw the opening of three new hospitals, the new Royal London (including a new Dental Hospital), the Barts Cancer Centre, and the Barts Heart Centre. 

The trust is reportedly paying £30m a year on PFI repayments.

These figures were released earlier this month before Peter Morris, chief executive of Barts Health, last Friday announced he will step down.

Chief Nurse at Barts Health, Professor Kay Riley, also said she will retire at the end of October after 30 years with the NHS.

A Barts Health spokesman said it was forced to spend more money in order to provide a high level of care.

He said: “We take our financial responsibility to our patients, our commissioners and the public very seriously and recognise the importance of balancing the books.

“Reforecasting a revised year-end deficit of £93m was not a decision that was taken lightly and we will continue to focus on the long-term financial planning that will see Barts Health recover this position.

“Meeting the needs of our local population and providing high quality, safe, patient care remains our top priority.”

The results of a Care Quality Commission inspection of the hospital are due out later this year.