Foundation trusts could take over other trusts by next year, government warns

NHS trusts that do not meet the 2010 deadline to achieve foundation trust status in England could be merged or taken over by existing foundation trusts, the government has said.

Speaking as a witness at a parliamentary session this week, the health secretary, Alan Johnson, said that 19 trusts were currently considered to be unlikely to achieve foundation trust status, which grants hospitals more clinical and financial independence. The government’s target is to have all acute and mental health trusts achieve such status before December 2010. Currently, about half have done so.

MPs on the parliamentary health …