Hospitals have been told that they can no longer rely on an official “treatment price list” used to draw up budgets.

The tariff was issued on January 31 and is a basic financial planning tool for hospitals. It details what they will be paid for operations, day cases and inpatient procedures from April 1. But, less than two months before it has come into effect, it has been withdrawn after the Department of Health admit- ted it contained mistakes.

The withdrawal will add to the difficulties for NHS managers who were sent another stinging e-mail yesterday telling them to reduce financial deficits by the end of the year.

Duncan Selbie, the director of programmes at the NHS, said in the e-mail that Sir Nigel Crisp, the NHS chief executive, “requires immediate action” to deal with deficits. Mr Selbie orders health authorities to “materially improve the situation by months 11 and 12”.

One recipient said that the situation was ludicrous. “Month 11 is February, and his e-mail is dated February 22, so we are already more than three quarters of the way through the month.”

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