What is a Foundation Trust?
Whittington Health has been invited to make an application to become an NHS foundation trust. We believe this would have many advantages for our patients, local people, our staff and our partners. Between November 2011 and February 2012, we consulted with our stakeholders and public for views on our plans to seek foundation trust status. The following booklet lays out all the information about Whittington Health becoming a foundation trust.Click here to download the Whittington Health foundation trust document
What is an NHS foundation trust?
NHS foundation trusts are a new type of organisation accountable to their local community rather than to central government. The intention is to make them more responsive to the needs and wishes of local people. They firmly remain part of the NHS and provide healthcare services consistent with NHS standards and principles.
An NHS foundation trust organisation is governed by a committee of local interested people called the council of governors, which is elected by Whittington Health’s foundation trust membership. Patients, service users, the public, staff and local organisations can all become members. The council of governors work with the board of directors, who are responsible for the day-to-day running of the hospital, to agree its strategic direction.
What are the benefits of becoming a foundation trust?
Becoming a foundation trust will allow us to be more responsive to individual and local healthcare needs. We will develop closer links with local communities and other healthcare providers in the area.As a foundation trust, Whittington Health will have greater financial freedom.
With foundation trust status, staff will have a greater say in how Whittington Health’s services are run and developed. As a foundation trust we will have greater freedom to respond to local rather than national staffing pressures. We will also have more freedom in how we reward and retain staff.
The delivery of effective healthcare requires different agencies to work together to provide a fully joined-up service. Having our key stakeholders represented on our council of governors will enable this to happen more easily and give them a say in how our services are developed.
How the foundation trust will be governed?
NHS foundation trusts are organised and governed in a different way to existing NHS Trusts and have three main components:
- The membership made up of patients, staff local people and partner organisations, such as Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), GP practices, local authorities and voluntary organisations
- Council of Governors of 23 people which includes individuals elected from the membership and people appointed from partner organisations. This will include four members of staff.
For more information on the current council of governors, please click here. - A board of directors made up non-executive and executive directors, the chairman and chief executive.
For more information on the Board of Directors, please click here.
Last updated01 May 2012