Hinchingbrooke Hospital deal

Responding to today’s deal between Hinchingbrooke NHS Hospital and
Circle, MacIntyre Hudson LLP argues that politics is too heavily evident in today’s healthcare system.

Chris Harris, Principal in MacIntyre Hudson’s Not for Profit team comments, “The Hinchingbrooke deal has been a year in the making. It’s our view that things could have moved a lot quicker if there had been less political nervousness around the move. This has created frustrations for NHS staff on the ground, who simply want to get on with the task in hand – delivering good patient care on the frontline. While this moves suggests a growing confidence in wider NHS reform, our view is that there’s just too much politics in the health system.”

As Circle is a co-operative, MacIntyre Hudson believes the deal presents an interesting example for social enterprises. It is widely expected that other parts of the NHS will reconstitute themselves as social enterprises but this is no guarantee of success as shown by the failure of Mid Surrey to win a contract earlier this week. Looking to the future, Harris argues that putting all aspects of patient care first must be paramount and this cannot mean giving the contract to the cheapest bid, regardless of this being a social enterprise of traditional outsourcer.

“We welcome this move as its clear the NHS can’t continue to function in its current form. However, the question is what direction do we move in that has the most positive impact on patient care? UK governments unfortunately have a track record of wasting money, for example, in the unnecessary re-organisation of Primary Care Trusts. This Government needs to be bold, step back from day to day decisions and have the courage to put healthcare first.”