Circle poised to make bid to run Nuneaton's George Eliot hospital If George Eliot was to find a franchise partner from the private sector, it would be the second such hospital to do so after Hinchingbrooke in Cambridgeshire, which last year finalised a decade-long franchise with Circle. The 344-bed George Eliot had already been exploring its options with potential partners including Circle, Serco and Care UK, as well as three other NHS hospitals. Once the hospital has Department of Health approval, organisations will be invited to formally express their interest in becoming a trust partner through an operating franchise or variations on this model. Kevin McGee, chief executive of George Eliot, said its board was open to partners from the NHS and private sectors to ensure as wide a range of options as possible. He added that its staff and assets would remain part of the NHS. Mr Parsa said Circle was "absolutely" interested, adding. We always believe that it should be the local partnership of doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals who are closest to their patients who should run their own hospitals. Circle, which took over Hinchingbrooke in February, said the hospital was already making progress, with £1.5m of procurement savings identified and an improvement in accident and emergency services. The hospital has debts of around £40m, and if it generates a surplus in any year, Circle would take the first £2m. Last week Circle sought £47.5m from investors in a fundraising, sending its shares down by more than 60pc in a day. Mr Parsa said the fundraising was "done" and already had 93pc backing.