News / 22 step up to acquire trust

The first trust to offer itself up for merger with another NHS trust has received 22 expressions of interest from organisations across the country.

In April, Bedfordshire and Luton Mental Health and Social Care Partnership NHS Trust issued a tender inviting interest from health service organisations to acquire the trust. The trust is seeking a merger in order to gain foundation trust status. It is understood both foundations and non-foundations are among those coming forward.

A spokesman for NHS East of England, which is overseeing the process, said no deal had been done, nor had a preferred option been chosen. ‘We are still working through the competitive process,’ he added. The merger should be complete by the end of the year – the SHA’s deadline for trusts becoming foundations.

The SHA was also hoping for Treasury approval of a competitive tendering exercise to franchise the management of Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust.

In an HFMA briefing on the Australian health system, published with this month’s Healthcare Finance, Hinchingbrooke chief Mark Millar reports on a visit to a similar franchise operation in Joondalup, Western Australia.