NHS hospital mergers ‘do not help to address performance issues’

Mergers among NHS hospitals have been found to do little to improve performance or offer practical benefits, according to a new study.

Research from the University of Bristol's Centre for Market and Public Organisation has suggested that the wave of hospital consolidation in the late 1990s and early 2000s rarely had the intended effect.

During this period, around half the acute hospitals in England were involved in a merger, with the rationale being that this would reduce excess capacity, offer improved outcomes and restore financial health.

However, the university's assessment of more than 200 acute NHS hospitals in England between 1997 and 2006 showed that poor performance generally continued, with waiting times increasing, deficits rising and no improvement in staff productivity.

Study leader Professor Carol Propper said: "Our findings suggest that policies to reduce the scope for competition may not be beneficial for patients or taxpayers."

Last month, Lord Brian Mawhinney of Peterborough expressed concern that primary care trust workers are being intimidated into accepting merger agreements between health bodies.