Law firm Hempsons has completed what it dubs “a novel corporate transaction” – claimed to be England’s first of its type – for NHS Hull, involving the transfer of the healthcare body’s entire provider arm to City Health Care Partnership CIC (CHCP), a social enterprise formed as a community interest company limited by shares.
Hempsons says the move accords with the new Government’s “Big Society” agenda – for employee-owned social enterprises to take over the running of public services. Services transferring include community adult nursing, community children and young people’s services, community dental access services, and specialist care services such as prison healthcare and substance misuse services. In 2006 the primary care Trust was identified as “pathfinder” for social enterprise by the Department of Health, and has since been working towards separating its commissioning and provider services. CHCP had been operating as an arms-length organisation within NHS Hull since April 2008, but the transaction formalises the separation. As a community interest company, the new organisation will reinvest any surpluses into staff and service development and the wider community. Christopher Long, NHS Hull CEO, said: “The transfer will enable NHS Hull, as the commissioning organisation, to focus our efforts entirely on commissioning services which offer best value for money and meet the needs of local people.”
