Merger By Acquisition Completed At Start Of April

The safety of patients has to remain a fundamental priority following the merger by acquisition of Birmingham’s two largest hospital trusts, according to specialist medical negligence lawyers.

Originally proposed in September 2016, University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) NHS Foundation Trust and Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust (HEFT) came together at the start of this month to form a single enlarged organisation.

Operating under the UHB name, the move will see all hospitals and clinics retain their individual names and will mean that the trust has around 50,000 trust members, employing more than 20,000 people.

Dame Julie Moore, chief executive of UHB and interim chief executive at HEFT, said the combination of the two trusts would “benefit all of our patients” and “bring added benefits”.

Irwin Mitchell’s specialist Medical Law and Patient Rights team in Birmingham has vast experience helping patients affected by problems related to care failings at a range of hospitals across the city, including those managed by both HEFT and UHB.

Jade Elliott-Archer, specialist medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell’s Birmingham office, said: "This merger is clearly important for the city as a whole and following the change it is vital that the new organisation remains focused on providing both adequate and safe care to all of its patients.

“It is an unfortunate truth that we have seen a number of cases in which people have suffered as a result of care failings which could and should have been avoided, so we hope that this merger will help to reduce such instances and ensure that safety remains the top priority.

“Patients place a great level of faith and trust in medical experts and it is vital that nothing is done to undermine that.”

Read more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in handling medical negligence cases.