Are you opposed to Foundation Hospitals?

I am not ideologically opposed to the establishment of Foundation Hospitals. I have always been opposed to large unresponsive monolithic public organisations delivering public services. Even as a public servant I recognised that they do not always operate in the interests of the public or consumer of the service.

As a member of the Co-operative Party I have always championed a different sort of delivery mechanism, based around the concept of mutualism. It seems to me that much of what is proposed by Foundation Hospitals fits into my perspective of how to reform and improve the NHS to be more patient focused.

I will of course study the details and hope that in light of some concerns the government is able to respond, but in general I do not oppose this concept on ideological grounds.

Last updated April 2003