As more information is revealed about Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the situation seems to be going from bad to worse. We now learn - thanks to procedures available under the Freedom of Information Act - that only weeks after the trust won Foundation status its bosses were aware of a potential £10 million loss for 2005, a figure which at one time it was claimed could reach a "worst case scenario" of £21.8 million.

And we also learn that a report from the financial consultants appointed by the regulator Monitor suggests that the trust was already £2.3 million in the red when it was given Foundation status, although the rules state that hospitals bidding for Foundation status have to be in the black.

How on earth did this happen? And why were the "operational weaknesses" in the trust which have caused such problems since the "payment by results" arrangement with Primary Care Trusts came into effect not foreseen?

There is no criticism of the quality of care provided by the Foundation Trust. It performs its hospital functions well. However it seems increasingly clear that it has been well out of its depth in the hard-nosed world of big business that the health service has now become. Not only was it inadequately funded by the Government, but those running it appear not to have had sufficient financial expertise to operate the various checks and balances needed.

No doubt lessons will be learned from this experience to help future Foundation Trusts avoid similar crises. Bradford has a reputation as a pioneering city, but this surely is one area in which it would rather not have shown the way.