Clinical care for people is priority

The Commons Public Accounts Committee ( PAC), on which I sit, today published its report. We took evidence at a hearing on December 10. For me, this has to be one of the most interesting hearings to date, and the most poignant for my constituency.

The report states the Peterborough and Stamford NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust had accumulated a deficit of £ 45.8 million by the end of 2011/ 12, on a turnover of £ 208 million, a ratio of 22%, and the highest in the NHS. The private finance initiative ( PFI) deal for our hospital has proved “catastrophic”, with the Department of Health now being forced to pay out nearly £ 1 million a week of taxpayers’ money to keep the Trust afloat. This PFI is a result of a series of bad decisions made by the last Labour Government. Ministers and officials at the Department clearly took their eye off the ball.

The PAC said there had been a “complete lack” of strategic oversight over the building of a PFI hospital in Peterborough while allowing Circle Healthcare to run Hinchingbrooke Hospital only 24 miles away. The strategic management of health resources across the East of England Strategic Health Authority failed. And ultimately the responsibility for this rests with the Department. Our committee agreed that this decision has left the two hospitals’ financial viability and future in doubt.

On reading the report I still findit astounding that, even if the Trust achieves challenging annual savings, it will still require significant financial support of up to £ 26 million a year for the next 30 years to remain viable. It is difficult to see how anyone would agree to put a burden that large on our hospital, our city and the taxpayer.

In December 2012, I spent several hours with the A& E Department i n Peterborough, late on a Friday night into Saturday morning, to see firsthand the important work they do for the people of Peterborough. We are very lucky to have such a hospital in Peterborough which is worthy of our protection. For me, the priority will always be clinical care at the hospital for myconstituents and value for money. Our local healthcare professionals do some exceptionalwork, in often very pressurised situations.

The Secretary of State for Health has promised me our hospital site is safe – its financial viability is my priority.