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NHS foundation hospitals: ‘battle willl recommence’

MPs who voted to stop the government’s controversial plan to create foundation hospitals will continue their fight, they say.

The Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill to establish foundation hospitals won a second reading by 304 votes to 230. A rebel amendment calculated to demolish the bill was lost by 297 votes to 117.

Although more than 130 Labour MPs signed an early day motion opposing the move, their numbers were reduced to 65, following what former health secretary Frank Dobson called ‘very, very heavy whipping and threats’.

Critics say the plan will lead to a two-tier health system, where richer foundation hospitals poach staff and resources from poorer-performing hospitals, which then become locked in a downward spiral.

But supporters say the hospitals’ freedom from Whitehall interference will encourage greater local innovation in service delivery, and strengthen links with the community.

The bill will now have to complete a lengthy committee stage, but when it goes back to parliament the rebels’ ‘battle will recommence’, says David Hinchliffe, chairman of the Commons health select committee.

Mr Hinchliffe said: ‘A lot of Labour MPs simply did not understand what was proposed. Many were taken in by the idea that, accompanying foundation status, is devolved power to local people. I have been arguing for that for many years, but not in a way that will result in disparities between hospitals.

‘If this is about empowering local people, it undermines the key argument if, right at the start, there is not a scrap of evidence that the local community has been involved in the decision to apply.’

Mr Hinchliffe was outraged that a trust in his constituency had ‘expressed an interest’ in foundation status, but made no attempt to canvass its local MP’s opinion. ‘I think it is totally wrong,’ he said.

Unison’s head of health Karen Jennings said the hospitals were ‘like a Trojan horse bringing private companies into the heart of the NHS’. She added: ‘Alan Milburn has got it wrong and we are going to mobilise to prevent foundation hospitals coming into being.’

Meanwhile, 29 of the 32 hospitals named by the government in March have been shortlisted and will mount bids to become the first wave of foundation hospitals in April 2004.

Then health secretary Alan Milburn said: ‘Where these 29 lead I hope the rest of the NHS will follow.’