Orpington MP John Horam says we cannot wait 50-100 years for Bromley Hospitals' NHS Trust to pay off its debt
AN MP has been debating the problems of Bromley Hospitals' NHS Trust in the House of Commons.
Orpington MP John Horam raised the issue of the trust's £100m debt in Parliament on Tuesday (April 29).
Mr Horam referred to a News Shopper interview with the trust's interim chief executive Ian Wilson who said it could take between 50 and 100 years to repay its £100m debt.
The Conservative MP called on the Government to write off the trust's huge debt.
He said: "If the interim chief executive officer of a hospitals trust can say quite openly that it will take between 50 and 100 years to pay off its debt, that is a ludicrous situation.
"Clearly, something must be done before then, and quickly, otherwise there will be an overhang that will destroy the hospital's morale and ability to act.
"I therefore want a debt write-off in some form.
"That is necessary so the hospital can be placed in a position where it can take decisions on medical grounds, not purely driven by financial requirements."
Mr Horam also criticised the number of changes to the trust's management.
He said: "The management at the top level seems always to be interim, acting or short term.
"The present CEO is there for only six months and will leave in June.
"His predecessor was there for a year, while his predecessor's predecessor was there for only a few weeks, which is ridiculous.
"Needless to say, all these people are on vast salaries."
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Minister of State at the Department of Health, Ben Bradshaw, said he could not promise Mr Horam's request for a write off but that the trust's financial problems could be sorted out this year.
Mr Bradshaw said: "I hope that the strategic health authority (SHA) will be able to reach an arrangement with the trust similar to the arrangements reached by other SHAs with the small number of remaining financially challenged trusts around the country."
Posted by: the blatant beast, Orpington on 12:08pm Thu 1 May 08
This whinging ditherer is using the hospital as a party political issue to advance his own career. How timely that he should be making this bold suggestions at election time. Wake up Horam - the only people who read the News Shopper are Tory voters anyway - you are preaching to the converted - noone else is listening.
This whinging ditherer is using the hospital as a party political issue to advance his own career. How timely that he should be making this bold suggestions at election time. Wake up Horam - the only people who read the News Shopper are Tory voters anyway - you are preaching to the converted - noone else is listening.
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