NHS Foundation Trust exhibition in Cromer

Local people across north Norfolk are being invited to comment on proposals for the Trust that runs Cromer and District Hospital to become an NHS Foundation Trust in January 2008.

An exhibition is being held at Cromer and District Hospital on the Foundation Trust plans on Wednesday May 16 between 9am and 5pm and the public are invited to come along and find out more.

The trust, which runs the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and Cromer Hospital, is undertaking a 12 week consultation, from April 23 to July 13. People can also register their views and express an interest in becoming a member via the website www.nnuh.nhs.uk/page/ft

Chairman David Prior said: “Our hospitals are among the top-performing in the country and we see the main benefits of becoming a Foundation Trust as being able to work more closely with our community and our partners to design services according to local, rather than national, needs and having more freedom from Whitehall. Ultimately, we believe this will improve patient care by allowing us to deliver innovative services in a more timely and responsive way.”

NHS Foundation Trusts are new 'public benefit' organisations with the purpose of providing NHS healthcare. NHS foundation trusts are not controlled by Whitehall but are accountable to local people and to an independent regulator. The trust's hospitals (Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and Cromer and District Hospital) will remain in the National Health Service and subject to NHS standards, and inspection regimes.

NHS Foundation Trusts have a membership that includes local residents who live within the trust’s local area, and members of staff. There will be a council of governors and a board of directors. The council of governors will be elected by the membership of the NHS Foundation Trust to represent their interests at strategic level. The board of directors will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the hospital.

The consultation runs until July 13 and the feedback from staff, patients, public and partner organisations will be studied and become part of our application to the Department of Health for NHS Foundation Trust status in August. If the Secretary of State approves the application it will then go to the Foundation Trust regulator Monitor for consideration in autumn 2007.