St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals trust denies plans to privatise Whiston Hospital

Apr 21 2011 Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News

A HEALTH trust has denied it is planning to privatise Whiston Hospital.

The denial comes despite a confidential document, seen by the Weekly News, outlining the possibility of privatisation.

The option is included in the draft ‘formal agreement’ document between the Department of Health, NHS North West and St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals trust, which runs Whiston and St Helens hospitals.

But trust chiefs have denied it was on the cards for either hospital to be handed over to a private company.

George Howarth, MP for Knowsley, said: “My big worry is that behind closed doors the Government may be manoeuvring to hand over Whiston Hospital to the private sector.

“I have requested under the Freedom of Information Act for all the options under discussion to be revealed. It would be a public outrage if this wonderful new hospital was to be privatised.”

The £300m hospital is a new build, constructed with Private Finance Initiative (PFI) funds. The trust estimated it would need an extra £20.3m of funds from commissioners to run the larger hospital and to keep up with PFI payments.

During negotiations to build the hospital, it was agreed the money would come from central funds via the soon-to-be-axed primary care trusts (PCTs).

But the document sets out three options to cover costs – either they come from Government, the hospital merges with another trust, or it is handed over to a private company.

St Helens North MP Dave Watt said: “This is not debt, it is money needed to cover the costs of the new state-of-the-art equipment, more nurses and the fantastic facilities we now have.

“If this is put into private hands it will undermine the other public hospitals in the area.”

A trust spokesman said: “The trust, like all health organisations is required to achieve productivity improvements. The trust receives its income to provide services for the local community from local commissioners, (currently primary care trusts).

“The trust board is required to produce plans for the trust to achieve foundation trust status by 2014 as per Government policy. The plans do not include developing a relationship with the private sector.”

A Department of Health spokesman added: “The department is in discussions with North West Strategic Health Authority about how best to continue to ensure that services remain sustainable and viable.

“It is for local commissioners and their SHAs to assure themselves they have sufficient and robust evidence to meet the four tests set out in May, 2010, as they are the owners of local services.”