Pennine Acute Trust AGM report: Hospital trust balances books

SIGNIFICANT achievements in finances, new facilities and infection prevention were highlighted at the Pennine Acute Trust’s annual general meeting.

Chairman John Jesky thanked staff for helping the trust wipe out its financial deficit of £9.2million in 12 months rather than the planned two years.

The trust, which runs hospitals in Oldham, North Manchester, Rochdale and Bury, has begun this financial year (2008-09) with balanced books.

Mr Jesky told the AGM the trust would not fall into the red again.

He said: “A solid financial foundation is essential for the development of the highest-quality clinical services. We will not return to a position of deficit again. Instead, we will increase our efficiency, and create surpluses which we can invest in our clinical services.”

New facilities at the Royal Oldham Hospital were also highlighted as some of the capital achievements during the past year.

These included the new £17m central laboratory and the £1.3million conversion of the Victoria Suite to an outpatients breast care unit.

Mr Jesky said: “These programmes will ensure that we can provide the highest-possible quality of services to patients, from facilities fit for purpose.”

Success in preventing hospital infection was also seen as a positive outcome. During the past year, cases of MRSA dropped by a quarter.

Mr Jesky said this was thanks to a wide-ranging infection campaign which included a major deep clean of wards, Government funding for a specialist infection prevention team, and a national Clean Your Hands campaign.