Foster Continues Calls for RUH Debt Write-Off

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 29th Jul 2004

Foster Continues Calls for RUH Debt Write-Off

Bath's MP, Don Foster, has stepped up his campaign calling for the government to write off the debts which are hanging over the local health care providers.

Please find a copy of the letter below.

29 July 2004

Rt Hon Dr John Reid

Secretary of State for Health

Department of Health

Richmond House

79 Whitehall

LONDON SW1A 2NS Our Ref: Davi017/1

Dear John,

I am writing to you about the Royal United Hospital (RUH) in my constituency of Bath.

I'm sure, like me, you were pleased to see that the RUH has moved from a zero star rating to a one star rating. While this demonstrates that improvements have been made in many areas of the hospital's activity, it also illustrates improvement in the hospital's financial management.

In light of this, I am writing once more to urge you to consider writing-off the outstanding, long-term debts of the hospital.

As explained in my letter of a year ago, these debts arose as a result of poor financial management by a previous administration.

Although the RUH is not currently being asked to repay the debt, or even interest on it, its continued existence, and the threat that the debt might have to be paid off, blights long term planning. I'm sure you'll agree that this situation is unfair for the users of the hospital and that they are being penalised for past mistakes outside their control.

Given the RUH's present financial management systems, you can be confident that writing- off the debt would not provide a signal to current management that they can revert to the inefficiencies of the past.

I hope that, in light of the above and the numerous representations from me and others, you will now be prepared to authorise the writing-off of this debt and lift the uncertainty that hangs over the future of the RUH.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours ever,

Don

Don Foster MP