Plans by Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust to apply for Foundation Hospital Status have been deferred until next year.
Having gained three stars in the 2003/2004 performance ratings, the Mid Essex Hospital Trust Board made a successful preliminary application for Foundation Trust Status as part of wave two in November 2004.
However, the board made a decision at a meeting on Monday to defer the application until next year due to a number of reasons, which were outlined by chief executive Andrew Pike.
He said: "We made the decision to defer our formal application after the careful assessment of several factors.
"The formal application would involve significant extra work for the Trust. With the current workload involved with completing the full business case for the £150million re-development of Broomfield Hospital, together with the need to strengthen the Trust's financial position, we concluded that now is not the best time to proceed with the application."
After the star ratings announcement in July 2005, the board will consider whether or not the Trust is in a position to proceed with an application for Foundation Status in wave three, if the three-star status is maintained.
Published Thursday, January 20, 2005
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