CMA clears Manchester hospitals merger

The CMA has cleared the merger between two Manchester hospital trusts.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has found that the proposed merger between Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CMFT) and University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust (UHSM) will give rise to substantial benefits for the care of patients in its final report.

The benefits include reductions in patient mortality, clinical complications and infection rates, and outweighs any harm caused by a loss of competition between the merging trusts.

Patients who are expected to benefit from the merger include those susceptible to heart attacks or strokes, and those who need vascular surgery or kidney stone removal.

Together, the two hospital trusts operate nine hospitals in Manchester: Wythenshawe Hospital, Withington Community Hospital, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Altrincham Hospital, Saint Mary’s Hospital, The University Dental Hospital and Trafford General Hospital.

In considering the merger, the CMA received advice from NHS Improvement and consulted with local commissioners, local authorities and the devolved health and social care body in Manchester and NHS England, all of whom expressed support for it.

John Wotton, chair of the Manchester hospitals merger inquiry group, said: “We have found that this merger will have substantial benefits for the healthcare of patients.

“Our confidence in this is strengthened by widespread support from commissioners, clinicians and local authorities in Greater Manchester, who have developed a clear shared vision for providing health and social care under devolved powers.

“The hospitals involved presented clear evidence and a well-reasoned case as to how the merger would be beneficial to patients and we received NHS Improvement’s advice on this – which helped us to reach our decision to clear the merger.

“Competition currently plays a limited role in the NHS, as health commissioners and regulators have instead emphasised co-operative working to handle growing demand for NHS services.”