Nursery World - Health trust to contract out children's services

A west London primary care trust's record deficit means it is unlikely to remain the lead agency in four children's centres. Hillingdon PCT, whose 54m debt is the highest in the country, is poised to contract out key services as part of a drastic cost-saving exercise. Councillor David Simmonds, cabinet member for education and children's services, said, 'We anticipate that they are not going to be able to remain the lead agency and that responsibility will have to go elsewhere.'

Councillor David Simmonds, cabinet member for education and children's services, said, 'We anticipate that they are not going to be able to remain the lead agency and that responsibility will have to go elsewhere.'

He said the council was keeping a 'watching brief' on the details of the PCT's plans for outsourcing services. 'If they are talking about outsourcing procurement then it can have a big impact on children's services if you have a provider who doesn't have the expertise and experience to do that.'

He emphasised that the local authority was not funded to provide PCT services, such as health visiting and midwifery, but that it would work with other partner agencies to 'make sure these projects go forward'.

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