Circle signs historic Hinchingbrooke contract
10 November 2011
Circle, the employee co-owned social enterprise, has today signed a ground-breaking contract to run Hinchingbrooke Healthcare NHS Trust in Huntingdonshire for ten years.
The East of England Strategic Health Authority (SHA) selected Circle as their preferred partner last November following a 14-month tendering process involving 19 initial potential bidders. Circle will become the first ever non-state provider to deliver a full range of NHS district general hospital services when the contract commences in February.
Circle operate under a unique partnership model, where everyone from the consultants to the cleaners are co-owners in the business. They have a track record of turning round NHS services through clinical leadership and devolved decision-making, delivering over 20% productivity gains as well as 99% patient satisfaction in their first year operating day-surgery hospitals in Nottingham and Burton. Circle's founding ethos was to be above all else the agents of their patients. Their social mission is to re-engineer the delivery of healthcare to make it better, simpler and smarter value for patients.
Circle Chief Executive, Ali Parsa, said:
"At a time when some healthcare commentators say the solution for small district general hospitals is simply to merge or be shut down, we believe the NHS Midlands and East's courage and zeal for innovation will enable us to show how clinician and staff control can provide a more sustainable alternative. Our partners have now met hundreds of Hinchingbrooke staff, and we know that we share a core value of prioritising patients above all else, and a passion for reengineering healthcare delivery to make it simpler, better and smarter value for the patients. Circle arrives not with a top-down plan to impose change, but with a proven methodology of unleashing NHS professionals' talent through clinical leadership and devolved decision-making."
"At a time when some healthcare commentators say the solution for small district general hospitals is simply to merge or be shut down, we believe the NHS Midlands and East's courage and zeal for innovation will enable us to show how clinician and staff control can provide a more sustainable alternative. Our partners have now met hundreds of Hinchingbrooke staff, and we know that we share a core value of prioritising patients above all else, and a passion for reengineering healthcare delivery to make it simpler, better and smarter value for the patients. Circle arrives not with a top-down plan to impose change, but with a proven methodology of unleashing NHS professionals' talent through clinical leadership and devolved decision-making."
Dr Stephen Dunn, the strategic health authority's Director of Policy and Strategy, said:
"This is a momentous day. Circle secured this operating franchise following an open competition. They outshone the best of the best from the NHS and independent sectors. This will usher in a new era, unleashing innovation into the NHS, with staff and patients firmly at the centre."
"This is a momentous day. Circle secured this operating franchise following an open competition. They outshone the best of the best from the NHS and independent sectors. This will usher in a new era, unleashing innovation into the NHS, with staff and patients firmly at the centre."
Nigel Beverley, interim Chief Executive for Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust, said:
"We have been bowled over by Circle's enthusiasm and the efforts they have taken to engage with staff, patients and our other partners. Circle recognises our excellent achievements at the hospital, and we look forward to working with them to build on our successes."
"We have been bowled over by Circle's enthusiasm and the efforts they have taken to engage with staff, patients and our other partners. Circle recognises our excellent achievements at the hospital, and we look forward to working with them to build on our successes."
