Health commissioners in Hertfordshire have been called on to support NHS services across Cambridge and Peterborough with a £5 million bailout.

Earlier this year it emerged the Cambridge and Peterborough Sustainability and Transformation Partnership had a significant gap in its 2019/20 budget, with a deficit in the region of £192m.

The clinical commissioning groups in Hertfordshire and West Essex - which are part of the Hertfordshire and West Essex STP - have been asked to contribute £5m.

A further four STPs in the East of England have also been asked for £5m.

Ann Radmore, regional director for NHS England and NHS Improvement East of England, said: "Every NHS organisation is expected to live within their means and the benefit of taking a joined-up regional approach is we can tackle the issues together.

"We are committed to the NHS Long-Term Plan aim that by 2023-24 no NHS organisation will end the year in financial deficit."

Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group - which pays for health services in west Hertfordshire - agreed to hand over £5m on behalf of health commissioners across Hertfordshire and West Essex in June, on the condition the money would be returned next year.

But it has now emerged it may take up to three years for the money to be paid back.

Should the money not be returned, the contribution will be split proportionately between Herts Valleys, North and East Herts, and West Essex CCGs.

That would mean up to £5m less for health services commissioned by CCGs in Herts and West Essex in 2020/21.

Herts Valleys CCG chief executive, Kathryn Magson, said: "Assurance the money will be returned in 2020/2021 has not been received.

"HVCCG has confirmation from all other CCG partners in our STP that the contribution will be split proportionally between all three CCGs should the contribution not be repaid."

A spokesman for the Herts and West Essex STP said: "The STP has agreed that if Herts Valleys CCG requires its funding to be returned in the near future to meet an urgent/unplanned spending need, the STP will ensure the organisation is supported by the other members of the partnership."