OFT refers Dorset hospitals merger to competition commission (From Thisisdorset)
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OFT refers Dorset hospitals merger to competition commission
4:43pm Tuesday 8th January 2013 in Latest
Poole Hospital
THE Office of Fair Trading today (Tues) referred the proposed merger of the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals and Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trusts to the Competition Commission.
OFT Chief Executive and Decision Maker Clive Maxwell said: "Our review found that these two trusts compete with each other in a number of specialities, both to attract patients and funding from commissioners.
""We decided on the basis of evdience available that we could not rely on the potential benefits from this merger outweighing the expected impact on patients and commissioners of a loss of competition.
"We have therefore concluded that a reference to the Competition Commission for an in-depth review is necessary."
Commenting on the referral, Tony Spotswood, proposed cheif executive of the merged organisation, said: "We are pleased that we are one step further in this delicate process.
"There will now be a period of further analysis, which we anticipated, being the first Foundation Trusts in the UK to follow this process. It will hopefully reassure us all that a merger is indeed in the best interests of patients and staff."
Comments(14)
sea poole
says...
5:33pm Tue 8 Jan 13
Samesex
says...
5:56pm Tue 8 Jan 13
ajj-dorset
says...
6:25pm Tue 8 Jan 13
What most patients require is a good quality service at a hospital local to them, they do not need to be defined as customers in an accountant lead business.
Next thing these hospitals will be resorting to asset stripping and moving into property development?
What a mess!
l'anglais
says...
6:54pm Tue 8 Jan 13
Send them to Asia.
bibocherry
says...
8:00pm Tue 8 Jan 13
point--of--view
says...
8:37pm Tue 8 Jan 13
The management seems to have a poor attitude to staff and patients alike. An NHS trust board should be leading and aspiring the hard working doctors and nurses to deliver better patient care not forcing a focus on deriving profit from mergers and property deals.
I’m sure the next press release will be about fiscal constraints and the need to cost cut and sell off assets to raise cash. Tony Spotswood has been CEO for 13 years! Yes 13 years! Does he know how to plan and make financial provisions and strategy! This must be a core requirement to his job!
Old Colonial
says...
10:12pm Tue 8 Jan 13
ajj-dorset wrote:It's too late! NHS Management is no longer anything to do with patient care or clinical excellence.
Is there a sadder indictment of todays NHS, this government require some False pseudo competition between hospitals that should be working together for everyones benefit.
What most patients require is a good quality service at a hospital local to them, they do not need to be defined as customers in an accountant lead business.
Next thing these hospitals will be resorting to asset stripping and moving into property development?
What a mess!
muscliffman
says...
10:43pm Tue 8 Jan 13
funkyferret wrote:Quite, and it is usually out of touch with reality and ultimately toothless.
But why is there only one Competitions Commission?
This sounds very much like public-sector jobsworths making work up to justify their well rewarded positions.
This investigation will drag on for ever at vast public cost, with of course no benefit to local NHS patients whatsoever.
John T
says...
7:10am Wed 9 Jan 13
ajj-dorset wrote:I'm dying for the day when I can get all my patient care over the internet and there will be no need for customers to support their local hospital!
Is there a sadder indictment of todays NHS, this government require some False pseudo competition between hospitals that should be working together for everyones benefit.
What most patients require is a good quality service at a hospital local to them, they do not need to be defined as customers in an accountant lead business.
Next thing these hospitals will be resorting to asset stripping and moving into property development?
What a mess!
Dr Strangelove
says...
9:52am Wed 9 Jan 13
Hessenford
says...
9:57am Wed 9 Jan 13
bibocherry wrote:I think he's already done that, three years ago he publicly said that there were no plans to close Christchurch Hospital, look at it now, empty buildings full of damp and disrepair, and at a time when there are not enough beds to use in Bournemouth.
Tony Spotswood is not to be trusted. He talks as if this merger is virtually rubber stamped. Services need to be kept at all hospitals. He has tried to kill off Christchurch Hospital.
Crank
says...
10:19am Wed 9 Jan 13
Hessenford
says...
11:19am Wed 9 Jan 13
funkyferret says...
5:24pm Tue 8 Jan 13