SOUTH NORFOLK MP Richard Bacon has expressed hope that the hard-pressed Norfolk and Norfolk Hospital may get some financial relief, following a meeting with Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt.

Mr Bacon had earlier met with the Chief Executive of the hospital, Mr Paul Forden, and also the Finance Director, Ms Anna Dugdale, in order to be briefed on the present situation, before meeting with the Health Secretary as part of a cross-party delegation of Norfolk MPs.

Mr Bacon said: “My colleagues and I were able to raise the unusual financial difficulties faced by the Norfolk and Norwich with the Secretary of State, in particular the extra costs it faces because it is an early PFI hospital”.

“We also raised concerns about the fitness for purpose of the formula used by the government when deciding how much to pay hospitals. This formula supposedly adjusts for the differing costs of running a hospital in different geographical areas of the country, but actually discriminates against the N&N even compared with other local hospitals in East Anglia such as Ipswich, Peterborough and Addenbrookes”.

“Whilst the Secretary of State was unable to provide any assistance in relation to the early PFI premium costs, she did undertake to go away and examine the funding formula, so I am hopeful that it is still possible for the hospital to obtain some relief”.

17 May 2006

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See also:
PAC REPORT: The refinancing of the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital
PARLIAMENT: PFI group gets £95m as N & N hospital struggles