Trust boards approve business case for merger
Following several years of closer working between North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust and the Royal Free London group, we are now planning to come together as one organisation. We believe it would enable us to go further and faster in improving services for patients and improving the health of our local community.
North Mid has been a clinical partner with the Royal Free London group since 2017 and we have been in a formal partnership since 2021. Our experience has shown that we can achieve more together than we can apart, delivering better care for local people and more opportunities for our staff.
We have been developing plans for North Mid to merge into the Royal Free London group alongside Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital and the Royal Free Hospital.
Our hospitals would continue to provide the same local services. At North Mid, these include A&E, maternity, intensive care, paediatrics, acute surgery, medicine and community services.
By coming together as one, we expect to be able to deliver:
- reduced waiting times
- improved access to specialist care locally
- better joined-up community services
- greater opportunities to benefit from the latest medical research and trials of new treatments
- more coordinated action to help people stay healthy, with screening and early intervention services tailored to our different communities
Our boards have approved a business case for the merger which will now be submitted to NHS England for approval. It has indicated it will review the business case in autumn 2024. Subject to its approval, and that of the Secretary of State, we expect to bring our organisations together around the end of the year.
Until then, we will continue working together as we do now to provide the best possible care for our patients.
Further updates will be available here as this work progresses. In the meantime, you can contact us with any queries or comments at rf-tr.northmid@nhs.net.