§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner):My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Health has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
The chairman of the independent regulator of National Health Service foundation trusts has today announced that, in accordance with Section 6 of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003, the independent regulator has authorised the following NHS trusts as NHS foundation trusts from 1 July 2004: Addenbrooke's NHS Trust, City Hospital Sunderland NHS Trust, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital NHS Trust, Papworth Hospital NHS Trust, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Southern Derbyshire Acute Hospital Services NHS Trust, The Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Trust, University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust.
17WSThe independent regulator has deferred consideration of the applications from Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust and King's College Hospital NHS Trust. Further decisions on both trusts may be made at a later date by the independent regulator.
Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust has not been authorised. In the coming weeks, I have asked officials in the department to work with the trust to ensure that full support is provided for a further application for authorisation at a later date.