THE controversial subject of foundation hospitals is the theme of a public meeting organised by trades unions in the region.

While the Government claims that foundation hospitals will improve health care for patients, opponents fear that they could be the first step towards the privatisation of the NHS.

Former Health Secretary Frank Dobson, now a prominent opponent of foundation hospitals, is one of the speakers at Monday's public meeting in Sunderland organised by the Trades Union Congress.

Together with other unions, the TUC and the main health union Unison are lobbying against the introduction of what Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison at the TUC conference last week called "at best a two-tier health service, and at worst a staging post to privatisation."

Foundation hospital status could be just around the corner for City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust and North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust.

Both hospital trusts are among the first-wave candidates for foundation status.

This will allow them to retain their surpluses and all revenue from the sale of land and assets; raise income by charging for the treatment of private patients and give them a greater degree of flexibility in setting pay and benefits packages as well as having an independent regulator as a watchdog - not the Department of Health.

A spokesman for the TUC said: "We fear that the potential consequences, of what has been termed an injection of commercialisation into the health service, are far-reaching; a widening of health inequalities, erosion of the NHS we all depend on and the threat of staff poaching and competition between trusts, which could put those without foundation status under serious financial pressure."

The meeting at Crowtree Leisure Centre, Sunderland, begins at 7pm.

Other speakers include Karen Jennings, Unison head of health, and David Price, an academic from University College, London.