Private firms to put formal bids to run Hinchingbrooke

Two private firms have been given the go ahead to put in formal bids to run Hinchingbrooke hospital in Huntingdon.

Circle Health and Serco Health will find out in November which of their bids has been successful.

The hospital will become the first of its kind to be managed by a private health provider.

NHS East of England said last year that it hoped the winning organisation would find a way to deal with the hospital's historic £40m debt to the NHS.

Alastair Dick from Serco Health said: "We bring together the huge depth of capability of a FTSE 100 company with 50 years of experience transforming public services and a huge commitment to delivery."

Nick Boyle from the other firm in the running, Circle Health, said: "What the people of Hinchingbrooke will see is fantastic levels of service, they will get extremely high levels of clinical care and taxpayers at large will see better value for money."