A foundation trust is an NHS organisation that has freedom from
central government control and is able to make its own decisions
about the way it provides, develops and invests in services and
staff. These decisions are better informed by positive engagement
with local communities, staff, and partnership organisations.
Will the way in which we provide healthcare change?
No, as an NHS foundation trust we will continue to provide
healthcare according to the NHS principles of free care, based on a
patient’s needs and not their ability to pay.
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How will we be run?
The Board of
Directors will still be responsible for the day-to-day running
of our Service.
However, local accountability will be
the key to our foundation trust status. We will have
elected and nominated governors who will form our Council of
Governors. They will represent public and staff members,
and local partner organisations. The governors will ensure we
proactively engage and work with our patients, staff and local
partners.
Find out more about the role of our
governors.
We will continue to have a duty to run our
service efficiently and economically. We will be regulated by
Monitor, the
independent regulator for foundation trusts, and by the Care Quality Commission, to ensure
that we are well-led, financially strong, legally constituted and
that we provide high-quality and safe services.
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What
do we have to do to ensure we can become a foundation
trust?
There is an application process for becoming a foundation trust
that is defined by Monitor on behalf of
Parliament. We are expected to:
- consistently achieve strong performance against targets,
- set our business strategy for the next five years which
describes how the Trust will develop and deliver its services to
its patients and the public, and
- meet national standards, as set by the Care Quality Commission
and other organisations.
The application will be assessed by NHS London (Strategy Health
Authority) and Monitor the independent regulator for foundation
trusts.
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