Public asked for their views on bringing world-class healthcare to London and the UK

Plans to create a centre of world-leading healthcare are made available for public consultation - News Release

Issued on behalf of Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust, Imperial College London and St Mary's NHS Trust.

For immediate release
Tuesday 1 May 2007

Plans to create a centre of world-leading healthcare in west London are today (1 May) available for public consultation.

Last week Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust and St Mary's NHS Trust were rated the second and third best hospitals in the country for clinical performance, quality of care and safety(1). Now the hospitals want to go one better by merging into one NHS Trust and joining with the Faculty of Medicine of Imperial College London to create the UK's first Academic Health Science Centre.

Despite being home to some of the world's best scientific and clinical research, the UK currently lags behind in terms of turning these findings and innovations into benefits for patients.

The Trusts and Imperial College believe that by forming an AHSC, they will be able to strongly improve their performance in turning new scientific research into new treatments that benefit patients, matching the highest standards they already set for clinical performance and quality of care.

The three organisations are now asking the public for their views on the creation of the AHSC through a consultation running from 1 May to 31 July 2007.

Public meetings and presentations will be held throughout the consultation period. To find out more or to make comments the public can attend one of the public meetings:

* Wednesday 6 June at 6.30pm, Irish Centre, 100m from Hammersmith Broadway
* Wednesday 20 June at 6.30pm, Tuke Hall, Regent's College, Regent's Park

Alternatively, the public can voice their comments directly through one of these routes:

* phone 0800 043 73 63
* write to FREEPOST AHSC
* log onto www.ahsc.org.uk
* email ahsc@vervecommunications.co.uk

The AHSC will be the first organisation of its kind in the UK, integrating the delivery of clinical services, teaching and research. This approach - joining together hospitals with medical education and research institutes - is in place in other parts of the world and is proven to be a key factor in making them the world's best hospitals.

Brilliant and innovative healthcare originates in a research-led hospital environment. The top ten hospitals in the Dr Foster Good Hospital Guide 2006 is dominated by hospitals allied to universities. The partners aim to develop this proven model of excellence and set new standards.

Imperial College is one of Europe's largest medical research institutions and was recently ranked fourth in the world for biomedicine(2). Between them, the partners have an outstanding record of success - recently confirmed by becoming the premier Biomedical Research Centre in the country and one of just two National Patient Safety and Service Quality Centres in the UK.

The public consultation gives the public and staff of all three organisations the opportunity to give their views on how the AHSC should be created. The consultation will not look at clinical services run bv either Trust but instead examine the organisational structure of the new organisation.

Professor Stephen Smith , Principal of the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College and the person appointed to be responsible for the establishment of the AHSC said:

"Healthcare is changing and we want to be at the forefront of helping patients benefit from it. We carry out some of the best biomedical research in the world in this country and we need to transfer that innovation to create the best hospitals and networks of care."

"The people of west London and the rest of the UK deserve a better healthcare system and by working with the excellent local healthcare organisations we can provide it.

Sir Richard Sykes , Rector of Imperial College London, said:

"The AHSC will mean we can bring cutting-edge developments from our laboratories to local patients in west London and the UK in the shortest possible time. It will also help us in our mission to train the doctors of tomorrow - first-rate researchers and clinicians who are capable of meeting the challenges of 21st century medicine."

Ruth Carnall, Chief Executive of NHS London, said:

"We are delighted that the two trusts and Imperial College London are taking these first steps towards a new type of organisation. We strongly believe the Academic Health Science Centre has the potential to increase London's international competitiveness in biomedical research and deliver a quicker translation of research into service benefits for patients."

The Boards of St Mary's and Hammersmith will continue to discharge their overall responsibilities for the management of their Trusts until any merger takes place.

-ends-

For further information please contact:

Don Neame
Communications Manager
Academic Health Sciences Centre Programme
Telephone: 020 8237 2018
Mobile: 0771 209 7659
Email: DNeame@hhnt.nhs.uk
Website: www.ahsc.org.uk

Notes to editors:

(1) Dr Foster Good Hospital Guide 2006 - How healthy is your hospital (April 2007). The hospitals have the second and third lowest standardised mortality ratios over a three year period. Hospital mortality is regarded as an effective way to measure and compare clinical performance, safety and quality.

(2) The Times Higher Education Supplement 2006 world university rankings

* More information is available on the website www.ahsc.org.uk or by phoning 020 8237 2018 or writing to FREEPOST AHSC or to the AHSC Programme Office, 2nd Flr Education Block, Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham Palace Rd, London, W6 8RF.

* Subject to the consultation, the two trusts will merge in October 2007. At the same time there will be executive integration with Imperial College through the appointment of a Board combining all three partners. The AHSC's management structure will look to integrate leadership positions across the NHS and university structures.

* It is expected that Imperial College would sponsor an application for the AHSC to become an Academic Foundation Trust in 2008. This would be subject to a separate consultation.

* This consultation does not propose any service changes. Any future proposals will require separate business cases and impact assessments and would be subject to the statutory consultation and scrutiny requirements.

* In December 2006 the AHSC partners were selected as one of the UK's 11 Biomedical Research Centres. The award guarantees the partners research funding of £19.5 million per annum for the next five years, and makes the West London BRC the leading centre for the UK. BRCs will be leaders in translating scientific research into benefits for patients.