George Eliot Hospital: NHS trust to stay in control

A Warwickshire hospital put in special measures after major failings will no longer face a takeover, the NHS has said.

The NHS Trust Development Authority (NTDA) said "significant improvements" had been made at the George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton.

Last year, bids were invited from other NHS trusts and private firms to take on the struggling hospital.

One NHS trust said it was "extremely disappointed" by the U-turn.

Unison, the UK's largest union, said the hospital being "pulled back from the brink of privatisation" was a "victory for common sense".

Unite welcomed the decision, adding: "This outcome is of national significance and should be used as a model for turning around local hospitals which experience difficulties."

A Care Quality Commission inspection on 29 April will assess whether the hospital needs to remain in special measures.

'Work to do'

Trust chief executive Kevin McGee said staff had worked "tirelessly".

"This is an excellent example of what can be achieved when the right package of support is put in place and staff work together towards a common goal," he said.

The George Eliot Hospital had the highest death rate in England in 2011

David Flory, chief executive of the NTDA, said his team had seen "real improvement" but said "there is clearly a great deal of work still to do".

Three organisations, Care UK, Circle Health and South Warwickshire NHS Hospital Trust, submitted bids to take over the management of the hospital.

Glen Burley from South Warwickshire NHS Hospital Trust said he was "extremely disappointed with the decision to stop the process".

"We firmly believe that an integrated Warwickshire organisation is best for patients and the sustainability of the health economy across Coventry and Warwickshire," he said.

The University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust also bid, but later withdrew its proposal to focus on its own "future sustainability".