News

Gloucestershire hospitals to stay in NHS, board votes 'unanimously'

Governance | Jonathan Last | 15 Oct 2012

The board of NHS Gloucestershire has reportedly voted unanimously to keep Gloucestershire’s community health services under the NHS, rather than opening up to bids from the private sector.

An EGM was held this morning to decide the fate of Gloucestershire's health services after campaigners took NHS Gloucestershire to court when it decided to open the services to tender without fully considering other options. The court decided the NHS must look again at the options available to it. 

On Wednesday last week, the results of a public consultation by NHS Gloucestershire into the options, which it conducted as part of the legal settlement, were revealed. Stroud Against the Cuts, a campaigning group fighting cuts to healthcare, has led the charge for retaining NHS services in Gloucestershire. It reported NHS Gloucestershire as stating: “During the 12-week engagement period, NHS Gloucestershire has received a significant level of feedback regarding the future management of its community health services.

“The overwhelming majority of respondents, from all groups, expressed a preference for Option 1 – the establishment of a new NHS Trust.”

Stroud Against the Cuts reported that of 2,564 responses, 96 per cent voted for option 1, in addition to a petition of 6,530 signatures expressing support for option 1.

NHS Gloucestershire were also required by the court settlement to survey NHS staff. Stroud Against the Cuts reports that the results showed that their “overwhelming preference” is “to be a standalone organisation in the form of an NHS Trust”, with 1,482 staff voting for this option (91.03 per cent of the responses).

Caroline Molloy of Stroud Against the Cuts said ahead of today's decision: “Having established that both patients and staff want our NHS to remain in public hands, without tendering, that this is entirely possible, and the considerable disadvantages of going out to tender, it would be astonishing and irrational if the board instead opted for ongoing uncertainty and the risk of private take-over.  

“We urge the board to listen to the public, and to allow staff to get on with the job of looking after patients within the NHS.”

Successful campaign

At around 12pm this afternoon Molloy tweeted "We won!! Gloucs [sic] hospitals will stay in nhs, reversin [sic] outsourcing decision. Press release to follow shortly. Huge thanks to all who supported".

Further reports via Twitter from local journalists and campaigners state that the board's decision to keep community health services within the NHS was unanimous. 

NHS Gloucestershire were also required by the court settlement to survey NHS staff, and Stroud Against the Cuts quotes the report released on Wednesday as stated that their “overwhelming preference” is “to be a standalone organisation in the form of an NHS Trust”, with 1,482 staff voting for this option (91.03 per cent of the responses).

Stroud Against the Cuts halted the transfer of NHS services to a social enterprise back in September 2011. The campaign progressed to a judicial review soon after, before being settled out of court in February this year. Most recently, the solicitor representing Stroud Against the Cuts threatened the Primary Care Trust with legal action.