GEORGE Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton is ready to take the next step in its search for a partner – by asking staff and patients for their views. The hospital admitted last summer that it would not be able to earn Foundation Trust status alone. That meant the George Eliot had to find a partner or face being taken over by a rival after April 2014. Now it is asking the people of Nuneaton what they want the hospital to offer and what they want a possible partner to bring to the table. Chief executive Kevin McGee said: “We want to make sure we reflect the people’s wishes as we move forward. The role of the public in this cannot be underestimated. I am openly and genuinely inviting people to get in touch and feed in their ideas and suggestions.” The George Eliot is one of many district hospitals which will not be able to achieve Foundation Trust (FT) status on their own. Its application would be hindered by its history of financial difficulties and high mortality rates. Despite those past problems, a host of organisations have already come forward as potential partners. Circle – which recently became the first private firm to take over an NHS hospital in Cambridgeshire – has been widely credited with an interest by specialist publications such as the Health Service Journal. Heart of England Foundation Trust in Birmingham – one of the country’s biggest hospital groups – also wants to take over the George Eliot to create a healthcare corporation. The other leading contender at this stage is South Warwickshire Foundation Trust, which runs Warwick and Stratford Hospitals. It is already looking to take over children’s services in Nuneaton with the George Eliot’s blessing and a public consultation on those plans is likely to start in the coming weeks. That could pave the way for a wider partnership between the two hospitals, serving patients across the whole of Warwickshire. However, the George Eliot has already ruled out UHCW NHS Trust, which runs University Hospital and St Cross, as it is not yet an FT. Mr McGee said his team had worked hard in the last few months to establish how they want the George Eliot to be set up in future and had begun talking to some would-be partners about how they could achieve that aim. He said the priority was to ensure the hospital continued to offer a full range of services to the people of Nuneaton, both on site and in the community. A series of events and talks will now be held to increase staff and public awareness and involvement. For more information, visit the hospital’s website at www.geh.nhs.uk | 
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