Royal Free HospitalThe Royal Free London is one of 13 new hospital vanguards being announced by NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens today to develop new models of care, representing the next stage of implementing the NHS Five Year Forward View.

Known as acute care collaboration vanguards, they are designed to spread excellence in hospital services and management across multiple geographies and explore radical new options for the future of local hospitals across the NHS. 

The trust plans to become the heart of a group that other organisations will want to collaborate with and is considering options including buddying, merging specific office functions and other innovative models such as joint clinical and corporate ventures.

The key benefits of this approach are that it would reduce the variation patients can experience in care, increase efficiency and can be delivered at reduced cost to the healthcare economy.

Potential partners will be identified as the proposal is developed but the trust plans to work with Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust and Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to develop plans for a group model.

The new vanguards will receive financial and practical support, and learning from their experience will be used by other areas in coming years. This is part of a joint programme led by NHS England and NHS Improvement with other NHS Five Year Forward View partners.

ENDS

Notes to editors

Media contacts: rf.communications@nhs.net or call 020 7830 2963

About the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

The Royal Free began as a pioneering organisation and continues to play a leading role in the care of patients. Our mission is to provide world class expertise and local care. In the 21st century, the Royal Free London continues to lead improvements in healthcare.

The Royal Free London attracts patients from across the country and beyond to its specialist services in liver, kidney and bone marrow transplantation, haemophilia, renal, HIV, infectious diseases, plastic surgery, immunology, vascular surgery, cardiology, amyloidosis and scleroderma and we are a member of the academic health science partnership UCLPartners.

In July 2014 Barnet Hospital and Chase Farm Hospital became part of the Royal Free London. Find out more.