Two Trusts have stepped forward to takeover Trafford Healthcare Trust

Press Release from Trafford Healthcare Trust

Foundation trusts bid to acquire Trafford Healthcare

Two neighbouring NHS foundation hospitals have bid to acquire Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust, which announced last December that it was seeking to become part of a larger organisation.

The Trust took the decision because, although it is performing extremely well clinically and has made £19m savings in the last three years, it is too small to remain financially viable as an independent entity.

On 4 April 2011, it formally launched its search for a partner by inviting neighbouring NHS foundation trusts to bid to acquire it. The deadline for submission of bids was last Friday (24 June) and the Trust today confirmed that it had received applications from two of its larger NHS neighbours.

Chief Executive Ron Calvert said: “We are pleased to have received these bids. The whole reason we are seeking acquisition is so that Trafford patients can continue to access high-quality,  appropriate health services close to home.

“Our small size means our income will not cover our costs in future years and the gap is too large to close with efficiency savings alone. Joining a larger organisation will get rid of the costs associated with being a trust in our own right, and enable further economies of scale, saving money that can instead be spent on patient care.”

The two bids will now be evaluated against criteria drawn up by the Trust and four panels known as reference groups involving patients and the public, GPs, the council, hospital staff and other key stakeholders.

The bidders will be invited to present their proposals to these reference groups and to the Trust Board. The Board expects to choose its preferred bidder by the end of the summer and will base its decision on the recommendations of the reference groups, as well as technical evaluations and its own conclusions.

The decision will then go forward for review by NHS Greater Manchester and NHS North West to ensure the preferred bidder has their support for acquiring the Trust.