Time to recognise that the hospital is dead

For many years, it has been Government policy to move healthcare out of hospitals and into community units and homes, and concentrate specialist surgeries in centres of clinical excellence. This is politically contentious: former Secretary of State for Health Patricia Hewitt was closing local maternity units, but she had to deal with the humiliation of Ivan Lewis, a minister in her department, fighting her changes in his own constituency. But the time has finally come to break our national addiction to hospitals.

In a report published today by Reform, Professor Paul Corrigan, who was a health special advisor to Tony Blair, argues that “the old model and concept of the hospital are failing”, leading to poor standards of care in far too many bankrupt institutions. “Hospitals will have to change or disappear completely” to “provide better, safer healthcare”.

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The government face two equally potent political nightmares if it sticks to its current course: either 40 hospitals could close or the government will have to foot a £5 billion bail-out by 2013.