Decision to dissolve troubled London trust prompts anger from neighbouring clinicians

Final proposals for a London NHS trust with large debts to be dissolved and its services allocated elsewhere have prompted strong opposition from local doctors and other healthcare staff from a neighbouring trust.

The final report on the South London Healthcare NHS Trust by the government appointed trust special administrator was published on 8 January,1 setting out its proposals on how to deal with the trust, which has a deficit of more than £1m a week and a predicted accumulated deficit of £207m (€254m; $332m) by the end of the current financial year.

The controversial proposals for the trust, which encompasses Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup, Princess Royal University Hospital near Orpington, and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, say that the trust does not have a viable future and should be dissolved, with services being broken up.

The new report was drawn up by Matthew Kershaw, the trust special administrator, and a team of senior doctors, nurses, and health experts and advisers.

Kershaw was appointed last July by the then health secretary, Andrew Lansley, under the regime for unsustainable NHS providers, the first time this power has been used since its introduction in 2009. The new report confirms recommendations made in a draft report published in October last year. …