What is NHS Foundation Trust status?
NHS Foundation Trust status is a new way of allowing the NHS to become more accountable to local people. It means the Trust will be liberated from central government control, able to manage its own budgets, and free to develop services around local priorities. Local people will also have a much greater say in the running of their local hospital.
What is different about NHS Foundation Trusts?
Local people, patients, carers and staff will be able to joining the Foundation Trust as members. The members will elect members to the Foundation Trust Governors’ Council, made up of representatives from the local communities we serve, staff groups, community and voluntary organisations and key stakeholders such as Ealing Council and Ealing PCT. The Governor’s Council will, in turn, appoint the Chairman and approve the appointment of Non-Executive Directors of the Trust.
As a Foundation Trust, we will have more control over how it spends its money and more flexibility to set priorities to meet local people’s health care needs.
Is this privatisation of the NHS?
No, it’s about devolving power from the centre to local people. We will still be part of the NHS. There will be no shareholders or dividends. The Foundation Trust would be prevented by law from being taken out of the NHS or being sold – and it will still continue to provide health care free at the point of delivery.
The Trust is facing financial difficulties – would is have the same level of problems as a Foundation Trust?
It is certainly true that the initial wave of Foundation Trusts have had mixed fortunes in controlling their finances. Much of the financial pressure on the Trust is currently for reasons outside the Trust’s control. As a Foundation Trust, the organisation would have more grip on controlling finances, partly due to legally binding contracts with the Primary Care Trusts and partly because it would be able to seek new ways to raise funds for new services.
Can a Foundation Trust opt out of national initiatives?
As a Foundation Trust, the Trust will still be subject to NHS policies and initiatives. However, they have greater flexibility and choice over adopting these policies. To ensure the quality of the service, the Trust’s performance would be monitored by an independent regulator called Monitor whilst clinical standards would be subject to inspection by the Healthcare Commission.
When will people have a say on this process?
The Trust will be holding a three month consultation process beginning on 23rd April 2007 - 13th July 2007. Staff and the public will have the opportunity to make their comments and suggestions about the proposals. There will also be a series of road shows to explain the Trust’s cases for going for FT status.
