BLPT key facts

On 1 April 2010, South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT) took over Bedfordshire and Luton Mental Health and Social Care Partnership NHS Trust (BLPT).  BLPT made history by being the first NHS Trust to put itself up for merger with an established NHS Foundation Trust (FT).
 

Detailed below are the key facts about the project.

The overall objectives of the process were to ensure that BLPT is in a position to continue to:

• provide safe, high quality mental health, learning disabilities and social care services for local people
• provide and maintain safe modern facilities for services
• maintain financial viability of the Trust
• deliver improved standards of care for service users and carers

• The aim of the process was for BLPT to attain Foundation Trust status within the timetable set by NHS East of England.
• The competition to bid was open only to those NHS organisations who either are, or had, the imminent capability to become an NHS Foundation Trust.
• Independent sector organisations were not asked to bid, since they are unable to become NHS Foundation Trusts.
• We were committed to running a speedy, transparent, competitive process, as we believed that this increased responsiveness, would drive up service quality and deliver best value for patients, the public and taxpayers.
• The transaction was conducted in accordance with the Principles and Rules of Cooperation and Competition set out by the Cooperation and Competition Panel, Department of Health and Monitor, as well as the rules of open, transparent and fair competition.
• This was an open, fair and transparent process, where any suitably qualified NHS organisation was able to express an interest in running quality mental health, social care and learning disabilities services in the area.
• BLPT remains firmly rooted in the local community it serves. The process to choose the new partner ensured that all the appropriate guarantees of accountability and local management were in place.
• The Trust was governed by its membership and elected council of governors, made up of local people. Additionally, the freedoms conferred by Foundation Trust status means that local people and Trust staff will have more say in how services are provided and delivered.
• TheTrust's Executive Team carried on running the day to day operation of the Trust while the process took place. Service users did not suffer any disruption in the interim.  It was business as usual.
• The Trust was a financially robust organisation which had the resources to invest in a new and better future. By adding the experience and skills of an NHS Foundation Trust partner, and the freedoms that come with Foundation Trust status, there are now opportunities to develop more flexible and innovative services.
• The winning bidder was chosen by the BLPT Trust Board, NHS East of England, staff representatives and local service users and carers. The choice was made on the basis of the successful bidder's operational and management strength, its clinical excellence and its financial security.
• For staff, the only change is the name of their employer. Staff transferred to the new organisation under their existing terms and conditions.
• Staff are the lifeblood of the NHS and the Trust's staff continue to deliver front line services. The plan was to keep all services together and for the whole Trust to be transferred to a Foundation Trust.
• The successful bidder was chosen by the end of September 2009 and announced publically at the end of November 2009, after rigorous external approvals and checking processes. These processes were carried out by the NHS Cooperation and Competition Panel, the Department of Health and Monitor - the independent regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts.
• The formal handover to the new organisation took take place on 01 April 2010.