Joint bid to run Cannock Chase Hospital proposed

Both Walsall and Wolverhampton have submitted individual bids to take over the threatened Cannock site, run by the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation trust.

Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust chief executive Richard Kirby suggested using the expertise of both organisations working in tandem could be a third option.

He said: "We are still working really hard to put forward the best proposal we can to provide the best services for the people of Cannock and surrounding areas.

"But we would also be happy to work with another trust if that is what the administrators want to obtain the best results."

Walsall health chiefs have said they would invest millions of pounds in the Cannock site if their bid is successful. Currently the hospital in Brunswick Road is 40 per cent under-occupied and there has been a 30 per cent rise in attendances at Manor Hospital from patients in Staffordshire.

Day case surgery, outpatient and diagnostics along with elective orthopaedics would all continue to be run at Cannock Chase Hospital under the latest proposals.

Last month managers at at Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital revealed they wanted to run services in Cannock.

Their bid would see patients being shuttled by bus the 10 miles between sites for non-emergency surgery, with Cannock becoming a sister hospital to New Cross.

Walsall would own and run services within Cannock Hospital in the same way as they do at the Manor.

The plans have been drafted in response to £70 million downgrade of services at Cannock and Stafford hospitals recommended by a team appointed by health watchdog Monitor.