Comment on news that Oxford & Bucks Mental Health Trust is today licensed as a Foundation Trust

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 1st Apr 2008

Commenting on the news that Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust is today licensed as a Foundation Trust, local Liberal Democrat MP, Dr Evan Harris, said:

"Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Mental Health trust are clearly very pleased they have obtained Foundation Trust status that they were seeking but it comes at a high price. It is a pity that Trusts are forced down this path as the only way to gain benefits which could be available to all. Foundation Trusts are a dog-eat-dog type of health service, with providers competing with each other and aiming to turn in profits instead of prioritising good health care and fair access."

"The idea of "Trust membership" of a few thousand so-called members is a an ill-conceived way of providing pseudo-accountability when it is the PCT - which spends all our money - that should be elected so the whole local community is represented in decisions across the whole health economy."

"I opposed these market-driven NHS reforms when they went through Parliament and it is sad that so much staff time is spent on structural reorganisation and name-changes, at the expense of patient care."