13.01.11
Hospitals face take-over
A hospital trust faces being swallowed up by a larger organisation unless it can find another £9m in savings within weeks.
The North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust, which runs West Cumberland Hospital and the Cumberland Infirmary, is in danger of becoming a ‘failing’ Trust which could jeopardise its quest for Foundation status.
The Trust’s medical director, Mike Walker, told The Whitehaven News paper: “Five years ago, the Trust took out two big loans and coupled with duplicating services across two hospitals where in comparison to national averages the volume of patients is low, makes the costs even more prohibitive. That doesn’t mean we don’t need the services, just that they cost more.
“If we don’t become a Foundation Trust we could be merged with another, bigger Foundation Trust from elsewhere.”
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