Lister Surgicentre - "Bring it Back inside the NHS"

Liberal Democrat County Councillor for Tring & the Villages, Nick Hollinghurst has called for the Secretary of State for Health, the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt, to act on today's announcement of a damning report from the Quality Care Commission (CQC). This has severely criticised the management of the Lister Surgicentre in Stevenage by Clinicenta, whose parent company is the engineering and construction giant Carillion plc.

It is nearly a year since the CQC issued a formal warning to the managers of the surgical unit which is under contract to deliver eye operations and routine surgery to NHS patients involving ENT, trauma, gynaecology and orthopaedics.

However, at least six patients have suffered from irreversible eyesight loss following long delays in getting appointments, and just before Christmas the BBC reported by that a third patient had died following routine surgery. This follows two earlier deaths after low risk joint operations.

In a statement the CQC said it "is now taking action to protect people who use the service; however our legal processes do not allow us to go in to further detail at this time.

"During this time we will continue to work closely with our partner agencies with regard to the safety and welfare of people using the service."

Councillor Nick Hollinghurst said, "After all this time, with three deaths following routine surgery and with at least 6 patients suffering loss of sight, enough is enough for the people of Hertfordshire."

"This surgicentre is not managed by the NHS nor by the Lister Hospital, despite their name and an NHS logo being on the board outside. It is managed by a private company under contract to deliver NHS services. But the contract is with the Department of Health, not with the NHS Board. This makes the Secretary of State responsible for the management of the contract. Clearly the contract management has been as bad as the management of the Surgicentre."

"The Secretary of State must now admit failure before any more eyesight and lives are lost. He should admit his failure and that of his officials. We must bring the Surgicentre back inside the NHS and hand the running of it back to the Lister. We clearly must call a halt to any more of these ill-advised outsourcing projects."

To see the latest BBC report, follow http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-21621813