Responding to government plans to help businesses and the public sector with rising energy bills, the interim deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, Miriam Deakin, said:

"Trust leaders will welcome today’s announcement that they and other public service providers will receive the same help as businesses with soaring energy costs.

"Public sector bodies would have faced excessive price hikes without this support.

"Increased gas and electricity costs threatened to be a tipping point for trusts which have already been hit hard by inflation.

"While many trusts are on fixed energy contracts which will shield them from significant increases in this financial year, they will continue to be exposed as contracts expire and may face a massive hike in bills from next April without continuing financial support.

"We urge the government to be flexible when reviewing the package of measures outlined today and to ensure that all public services are protected from spiralling price rises beyond the next six months.

"Trust leaders will be watching closely further government announcements expected this week which could have an impact on NHS budgets and overstretched services as we head into what promises to be a very busy winter."