Fury at NHS passing on bid (From Stroud News and Journal)

Fury at NHS passing on bid

THE group fighting to save Standish hospital have expressed their anger after NHS chiefs passed details of their bid to big-money rivals.

Potentially valuable information on plans by community group Standish Mutual Care was given to private health sector rivals without the group's permission, they claim.

By contrast, the identity of the private bidder remains entirely anonymous as the group admit they still do not even know who they are bidding against.

"We are very angry about it," said Mutual spokesman Carlos Ordonez. "We have not been offered any information about our competitors and we certainly would expect to be asked for permission before information of that kind was given out.

"We are not entirely sure what it is they have given them and we are understandably very cross about it."

Officials at NHS Estates said they passed on details of Mutual Care's planned uses for the hospital to investigate the chances of the two bidders sharing the site.

"NHS Estates approached the other bidders separately to discuss the possibility of reaching a shared site agreement," said an NHS spokesman.

"General details of the proposed uses contained in the Mutual Care bid was shared individually and privately with the other bidders. "No financial or confidential information was shared."

Health minister John Hutton is set to make a decision between the two bidders but it now looks likely he will not make a decision this side of the expected election in May.

Meanwhile, much of the historic Standish site is left mothballed with many of the buildings serving as temporary homes to live-in property guardians.