DORSET County Hospital has improved its financial performance – by almost half a million pounds, although the trust remains in deficit.

For the six months to the end of September it was £4.28million down, compared with a planned deficit of £4.77m – £498,000 better than expected.

The capital balance was £2.2m at the same time – £66,000 ahead of the year-to-date plan.

A report before governors on November 5 says the trust which runs the hospital aims to deliver a deficit of no more than £1.3m by the end of the 2018-19 financial year next April.

Director of finance, Rebecca King said: “The financial plan requires significant savings totalling £7.613m to be delivered in 2018/19 whilst ensuring that there is no detrimental impact on the safety and quality of services provided. The delivery of the savings target for the year remains very challenging with £0.8 million of the target unidentified at the end of the second quarter.”