Franchising Back On Hospital Agenda

Hunts Post:

The spectre of private sector management of Hinchingbrooke Hospital will be raised again next week when health chiefs brief Huntingdonshire councillors.

Franchising management of the hospital to save the £1million a year that the hospital trust’s board is currently costing is the preferred option of the East of England Strategic Health Authority.

The SHA’s Dr Stephen Dunn and NHS Cambridgeshire’s communications chief, Jessica Bawden, will be explaining the future options to members of one of Huntingdonshire District Council’s scrutiny panels at a meeting on Tuesday evening, January 6.

The authority has left open the option of franchising to a private or public sector organisation. But it cannot go ahead without agreement from the Department of Health. Given that involvement of the private sector will cause uproar with trade unions and disquiet among hospital employees, the DoH is unlikely to agree to what will be seen as opening the door to “privatising the NHS” this side of a General Election.

And that is unlikely to be called any sooner than it has to be – in May 2010. Read more.

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