East Midlands trusts in possible merger talks

Board members at Northampton General Hospital Trust and Kettering General Hospital Foundation Trust hope to protect patient services through closer co-operation.

A statement of intent has been agreed, which details plans look at options for partnership, collaboration and full merger.

A partnership board and programme management office will oversee the development of options.

As a result of the plans Northampton General chief executive Gerry McSorley has resigned from his post. He will leave the trust in March.

In an announcement to staff, seen by HSJ, Mr McSorley said he supported the decision of the two trusts but it was not something he personally wanted to drive through.

He said: “As a chief executive I feel almost my entire senior career has been engaged in similar processes of significant partnership working leading to pre-merger and then to full merger with other hospitals.

“When I came to NGH it was with the hope I would be able to concentrate my efforts on one place without the prospect of doing this all over again.

“I have made the decision to leave my post as CEO at NGH at the beginning of March. I am doing so in clear knowledge of the process involved and not the outcome. I do so with sadness as this was not my plan when I came to NGH but believe this to be the right decision for me, and that the partnership talks are the right decision for both hospitals.”

Both hospitals are part of a wider review of acute services in the south east Midlands, which is also examining Bedford Hospital Trust, Luton and Dunstable Hospital Foundation Trust and Milton Keynes Hospital Foundation Trust.

Today’s announcement is separate to this review.