Clause 10 - Register of NHS foundation trusts
Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill
10:30 am
Mr Gareth Thomas (Harrow West, Labour)
I support the amendments of my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich, West (Mr. Bailey). One of the main attractions of foundation hospitals is that they offer direct democracy and truly put the ''public'' back into public ownership. Fundamental to the democratic elements of foundation hospitals will be a thriving, active and substantial membership.
I am tempted to look to my experience of local hospital issues and to reflect in particular on the experience of Mount Vernon hospital, which serves the northern part of my constituency. Had foundation hospitals existed in 1995, when the Conservative party did not oppose proposals to close the hospital's much loved and important accident and emergency unit, we would have been able to stop its closure by sweeping the board of directors out of office for having allowed such a horrendous proposal to have been introduced.
I am sorry, too, that foundation hospitals were not legislated for two years ago. Had they been, Hillingdon hospital NHS trust, which now controls the Mount Vernon site, might have had foundation status and could then have rejected outright the daft proposal introduced by Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire strategic health authority to move the cancer centre from the Mount Vernon site to the deepest, darkest corners of Hertfordshire. That would have spared my constituents much angst. However, I am delighted to say that there has been significant movement on that issue. The North West London strategic health authority is seriously considering whether the cancer centre can be retained to serve the needs of north London, perhaps as part of a wider cancer network. I welcome that.