24.10.14
Date set for Mid-Staffs hospitals and services transfer to other trusts
Patients at the soon-to-be-defunct Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust will be treated by neighbouring NHS trusts from November 1.
An order confirming the transfer and allowing for the future dissolution of the trust was laid in Parliament earlier today, regulator Monitor has confirmed.
It means that services at County Hospital, what was Stafford Hospital, and Cannock Chase Hospital will be provided by the newly established University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust and The Royal Wolverhampton Hospital NHS Trust respectively. Both hospitals will remain open.
Mark Hackett, chief executive of University Hospital of North Staffordshire and chief executive designate of the new University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, said: “This is a moment of major, positive change for the people of Staffordshire and their local NHS. We have succeeded in negotiating a very substantial investment of over a quarter of a billion pounds into NHS services in Staffordshire.
“This will enable us to expand and develop our hospitals to the very real benefit of local people. Safety will be our number one priority with safer care in better facilities, more follow up care in local settings and better access to specialist care.”
In order for any outstanding criminal cases to be dealt with, a shell legal entity will remain in place temporarily. As such, Tim Rideout, a former Primary Care Trust chief executive, will be appointed as part-time administrator, to work as and when required.
The current Trust Special Administrators (Alan Bloom, Alan Hudson and Hugo Mascie-Taylor) will support the receiving trusts for one week after the transfer of services in order ensure a smooth transition and hand over to Rideout.
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