Foundation trusts are part of the NHS and provide over half of all NHS hospital and mental health services. They are not-for-profit, public benefit corporations. Foundation trusts are different from NHS trusts because:
- They are not directed by Government, so have greater freedom to decide their own strategy and the way services are run
- They can retain surplus money and borrow money to invest in new and improved services for patients
- They are accountable to their local communities through members and Governors, to their commissioners through their contracts, and to Parliament and Monitor, the regulator of foundation trusts
Anyone can become a member of a foundation trust, and these members elect the Board of Governors, who play a key role in decision-making. Our members include patients, their families and friends, students and alumni, staff, and members of our local communities.
As a foundation trust we are:
- Providing some of the best care in the country. Our patient services have been rated “Excellent” five years in a row
- Managing our money well. We have a good financial rating from Monitor, our regulator
- Making quicker and smarter decisions which directly benefit patients and service users
- Involving patients and the public in creating and improving services, both within the trust and in the local health community
- Building great relationships with our staff: thinking creatively about how to help them give their best and reward them for it.
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