The Warwickshire Private Hosptial opened in 1981 at a time when the then Labour government banned private practice in the NHS and there were no private hospital facilities locally in Coventry and Warwickshire.

In 1977 a group of local consultants banded together to provide these facilities in the private sector. At that time we took the view that the hospital should be a Charitable Trust and that we should have no financial gain in the hospital itself.

Furthermore we collectively gave over £100,000 towards the hospital which ultimately cost £1.5 million; we also guaranteed a loan from the Midland Bank during the fund-raising period, the money for the hospital being raised by local public subscription.

The Warwickshire Private Hospital was ultimately sold to the Nuffield hospitals who had similar charitable status. There was no partnership as Dr Marguerie suggest.

With the money raised by the sale of the hospital the WPH Trust was set up as a separate charity and money from this has been used to help medical needs at all strata locally including a large input into the Biomedical Research Institute at Warwick University which helped towards the foundation of a new medical school. (Anyone who is in need of medically related help is eligible to apply to the WPH Trust.)

No medical practitioner gained financially from a partnership in the Warwickshire Private Hospital itself as would be the case with a partnership with Circle Health.

Dr Margeurie must be forgiven as he did not arrive in South Warwickshire until after the Warwickshire Private Hospital had been sold. - M A L Tansey (Chairman '82-94), W J Whatmore (Hon Sec '82-94), directors of the Warwickshire Private Hospital.