Jonathan Djanogly, MP for the Huntingdon constituency, was delighted at Thursday’s announcement by the Department of Health that a 10 year contract had been signed between Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust and Circle Healthcare which will come into effect in February 2012. At the end of last year NHS East of England announced that Circle Healthcare had the most convincing plans to improve Hinchingbrooke Hospital. Following a rigorous business case approval process that has just been completed this decision was endorsed by both the Department of Health and the Treasury allowing the NHS trust to sign the contract with Circle. Jonathan has welcomed the innovation as the first example of an NHS hospital operating under this model of management in the UK. Jonathan today attended the House of Commons with neighbouring MP Shailesh Vara to hear Simon Burns MP, Minister of State for Health, make a statement. Responding to Labour suggestions that this amounted to the privatisation of the hospital, Mr burns said: ‘Circle is an established provider of services to NHS patients, although it is important to emphasise that in this contract NHS services will continue to be provided by NHS staff, from NHS buildings, and NHS patients will continue to access them in the same way as now. No NHS staff are transferring or leaving, and assets remain within public ownership. Hinchingbrooke hospital will continue to deliver the same NHS services, as long as commisioners continue to purchase them.’ Jonathan Djanogly said: ‘With the signing of this contract I see a positive and now secure future for Hinchingbrooke hospital, whereby local services will be strengthened and maintained. Circle Healthcare is committed to empowering Hinchingbrooke clinicians and healthcare professionals to lead the kind of change that is needed to take Hinchingbrooke forward. ‘I wish Hinchingbrooke hospital, Circle healthcare and their respective staff very well in this new venture and will, as ever, continue to take a keen interest in all issues affecting the hospital.’