Becoming a Governor

Each NHS Foundation Trust must have a Council of Governors. Governors provide a vital link between the Trust and the population we serve. They form part of the Council of Governors which has a role in overseeing how services are run and influencing their development.

The role involves talking about what’s working well for patients and what could be improved, and feeding those views into the work of the Council. The most important thing you will need to be one of our Governors is enthusiasm for the role, rather than any specific skills or knowledge. You should care about our patients, staff and the services the Trust provides, and you should wish to bring your knowledge and experience into discussions and decisions about the direction of the Trust.

Governors also appoint the Chairman and Non-Executive Directors.

Our Council of Governors has the following seats:

•       A Chair (who is also Chair of the Board of Directors)

•       16 Public Governors elected from the public membership

•       6 Staff Governors elected from the staff membership

•       3 Partner Governors nominated by the organisations they represent

Elected governors serve a term of three years, after which they can be re-elected. Newly elected governors are provided with induction training which will provide them with the skills and information they require to fulfil their role.

The Council of Governors will meet at least four times a year; the Trust will provide support to meetings. Governors will not receive payment for their role; they will however be entitled to claim relevant expenses i.e. travel expenses.

Governors can also get involved in hospital working groups such as those looking at outpatient clinics or our plans for the future.  The Governors also help in recruiting new members at hospital events, such as the open day and fete.

How are the public governors selected?

In order to ensure that the interests of the community are broadly reflected, there are governors to be elected from each of the current constituencies:

•       Norwich x3

•       Breckland x3

•       Broadland x3

•       North Norfolk x2

•       South Norfolk x2

•       Gt Yarmouth/Waveney x1

•       West Norfolk x1

•       Rest of England x1

Governors are elected by the membership of their constituency (eg Broadland members elect Broadland Governors). We run annual elections to fill any vacancies on our Council of Governors.

How are staff governors selected?

We want a broad representation across all staff groups and therefore the staff membership elect staff Governors in the following categories:

•       Nursing and Midwifery x2

•       Medical x1

•       Admin and Clerical x1

•       Clinical Support x1

•       Facilities Contractors/Volunteers x1

How are other governors selected?

A number of local organisations appoint a Governor to represent their interests on our Council of Governors.  They are the University of East Anglia, the Clinical Commissioning Groups and Norfolk County Council.

There are some circumstances where members cannot become Governors.  You will not be eligible to stand for election if:

•       you are aged under 16 years of age

•       you are an undischarged bankrupt

•       you have made an arrangement with creditors which has not been discharged

•       You have been convicted of any offence within the last five years that resulted in a sentence of imprisonment for a period of three months or more.

If you are interested in finding our more about the role of Governor, please contact Janice Bradfield in the Membership on 01603 287634 or e-mail membership@nnuh.nhs.uk.