New deal signed with orthopaedic centre in Derbyshire

A privately-run treatment centre in Derbyshire which specialises in hip and knee replacements will remain open after a deal was agreed with the NHS.

Care UK will continue to run the Barlborough NHS Treatment Centre but under a "pay-per-operation" agreement.

The centre located near Chesterfield opened in 2005 when politicians were calling for waiting lists to be cut.

The initial five-year contract paid Care UK a lump sum, regardless of the number of operations carried out.

Under the previous agreement, the private firm was paid £13.4m for operations in its first year but only carried out work worth £10.1m.

The new agreement gives no guarantee of income from the local Primary Care Trusts, but runs on a procedure-by-procedure basis at the same cost that an NHS-run hospital would receive.

The new agreement means 120 jobs at Barlborough will be saved.

General Manager Graeme Kendall said more than 4,000 former patients indicated they supported the hospital.

The 46-bed orthopaedic centre has three operating theatres and serves the populations of South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.