Website questionnaire on Foundation Trust plans
Local people across Norfolk and Waveney are being invited to comment online regarding proposals for the Trust that runs Cromer and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals to become an NHS Foundation Trust.
The trust is undertaking a 12 week consultation, from April 23 to July 13. People can register their views on www.nnuh.nhs.uk plus express an interest in becoming a member at 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 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.
People can also attend one of the Foundation Trust exhibitions (9am to 5pm):
- 15th June 2007 Dereham Library
- 26th June 2007 Bungay Library
- 6th July 2007 Attleborough Library