NHS Confederation response to decision to consider placing Healthcare Trust in administration

29 Jun 2012 12:20 PM

NHS Confederation deputy Chief Executive David Stout said the decison to consider placing South London Healthcare NHS Trust in administration showed the government was starting to grasp the nettle on the difficult issues the NHS faces.

NHS Confederation deputy chief executive David Stout said:

“We are glad to see that the Government is responding to the challenge facing the NHS we set out last week and is starting to make some difficult decisions that have needed to be made for some time.

“NHS leaders have made it clear that short term fixes for struggling trusts are no longer possible. More decisive action is going to be needed to help the NHS maintain services and stay in financial balance during this unprecedented spending squeeze.

“We welcome the secretary of state’s actions as a sign that the Government is beginning to grasp the nettle on some of these difficult issues.

“When taking over a trust, it is important that the administrator looks beyond hospital care to consider primary and community care in order to make sure services are placed back on a financially sustainable footing"

Notes to Editors

The NHS Confederation represents all organisations that commission and provide NHS services. It is the only membership body to bring together and speak on behalf of the whole of the NHS. We help the NHS to guarantee high standards of care for patients and best value for taxpayers by representing our members and working together with our health and social care partners.

We make sense of the whole health system, influence health policy and deliver industry-wide support functions for the NHS.

Contact Francesca Reville 020 7074 3312 or Niall Smith 020 7074 3304. For out of hours media enquiries, please call the Duty Press Officer on 07880 500726.