Stafford and Cannock Hospitals transfer delayed
The trust that runs Stafford and Cannock hospitals will be dissolved a month later than originally planned, it was revealed today.
The University Hospital of North Staffordshire will now takeover running the services of Stafford Hospital and the Royal Wolverhampton Trust will takeover the running of Cannock Chase Hospital in November, administrators have confirmed.
All staff will know their fate by the end of this month and all those being transferred will keep the same pay and job conditions but some workers will be asked to take on different roles.
Originally the transfer was earmarked for October but has been delayed by a procedural hitch that needs both the House of Commons and House of Lords to be sitting.
A statement from the administrators Alan Bloom, Hugo Mascie-Taylor and Alan Hudson said: "We fully comprehend the fragile state of the Trust, and are equally aware of the need to achieve the transfer of services quickly, which is why we were originally seeking to transfer services and dissolve the Trust on October 1.
"However, the revised date of the start of November reflects a legal technicality in relation to the dissolution process. It is no reflection on the tremendous hard work that everyone continues to do in preparation for the separation of services.
"Please note that the hospitals will remain open as a result of the management of Stafford Hospital transferring to UHNS and the management of Cannock Chase Hospital transferring to RWT. Patients should continue to attend the hospitals as normal.
"We anticipate that the announcement of these developments will help to reduce the uncertainty for staff, public and patients."
The move means Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, which was exposed for appalling standards and culture of care in a public inquiry, will no longer exist.
The trust was found to be financially and clinically 'unsustainable' by health regulator Monitor.
A downgrade of Stafford Hospital has been approved by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt which will see the Weston Road site have its A&E permanently reduced to 14 hours, half the number of births, with children's services and critical care withdrawn.
Around £220 million is being spent on the restructure including on new facilities in Wolverhampton, Walsall, Cannock, Stafford and Stoke.
