What does it mean to be a Foundation Trust?

NHS Foundation Trust (FT) facts

• Free to patients at point of use, based on need, not ability to pay – just like existing NHS trusts.
• More democratic – local managers and staff working with local people, free from central government control.
• Able to manage own budgets and shape services to meet local needs and priorities.
• Allowed to borrow money – within strict controls.
• Legally set up as public benefit corporations giving far greater local ownership and involvement of patients, public and staff.
• Still part of the NHS and subject to same standards and full inspection.
• Duty in law to work in partnership with other NHS organisations to the benefit of local people and communities.
• Overseen by an independent regulator, accountable to Parliament and inspected by the Care Quality Commission.
• Those who choose not to become Members or Governors of their NHS Foundation Trust will receive exactly the same high standards of healthcare.
• Legally prevented from selling off or mortgaging NHS property and resources needed to provide key NHS services.

The successful management of the Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is the responsibility of its Board of Directors working together with the Council of Governors. The interests of our Members and the many partner organisations with which we work locally will be represented by the Council. 

Our Vision

It is our ambition that our Hospital will be a successful NHS Foundation Trust providing the highest quality cost effective diagnostics and healthcare for our patients on behalf of our commissioners, by an engaged and well motivated workforce, in the most appropriate setting. The Hospital will also be an important player in the local community and economy.

As an NHS Foundation Trust we are:

• owned by local people with the right to become Members and vote for Governors with real power to influence the way the Trust operated
• fully accountable to our Members
• governed by the same high standards of quality and performance as other NHS Trusts and, like them, free to patients at point of use, based on need, not ability to pay
• free from central government control and able to decide how best to spend the Trust’s income, taking into account local needs
• overseen by a independent regulator, Monitor, accountable to Parliament and inspected by the Healthcare Commission.
  

Benefits at a glance

• real opportunities to be involved in developing health services, which meet the needs of local people
• opportunities to be involved in decision making in areas of particular interest to them.
• greater access to more in-depth information about the workings of the Trust and its future plans, helping them to make more informed choices about where to go for treatment.
• being a Member of the Trust with the chance to become a Governor will enable staff to become more involved in the development of our human resource strategy and our service delivery plans
• more control for the Trust over the pace of change in terms of local target setting and meeting contracts
• more stability resulting in less workplace stress.
• we provide health services and employment opportunities to a local population which has significant health and social needs. We feel that, as an NHS Foundation Trust, we can play a much greater role in supporting the ongoing development and success of our local communities
• we expect that our Members and Council of Governors will challenge us to improve health and healthcare for local people