Supporting NHS Foundation Trust Development
NHS foundation trusts (FTs) have more financial and operational freedom than other NHS trusts and are run by local managers, staff and members of the public so that services can be tailored to local needs and priorities. Foundation trusts are a key part of NHS reform.
NHS foundation trusts provide healthcare according to core NHS principles: free care, based on need and not ability to pay and are subject to the same performance inspection systems.
FTs are regulated by Monitor and all FT applications are made to monitor.
In Yorkshire and the Humber, there were 15 NHS foundation trusts as of 1 February 2010. These are:
- Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
- Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust
- Humber Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Leeds Partnerships NHS Foundation Trust
- Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust
- Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
- Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Copies of FT board papers can be found on the Trust's websites
There are another 7 NHS trusts in our region that may become foundation trusts in the future. These are:
- Airedale NHS Trust
- Bradford District Care Trust (Mental health and learning disabilities)
- Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Teaching Hospitals Trust
- Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust
- Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Health Care
- Yorkshire Ambulance Service
The SHA has a role to support and develop local acute and mental health trusts to achieve foundation trust status. We performance manage FT action plans and progress and are held to account for this by the Department of Health. We also offer advice and support.
As well as monitoring action plans, the SHA undertakes its performance management role by:
- nominating trusts to enter each “wave” of the national programme (quarterly). The SHA will only do this if it is satisfied that the trust can move to FT status in the foreseeable future
- performance managing trust progress through regular meetings to identify where additional support may be required
- assessing trust progress formally prior to formal application to the department of health and reporting on trust “readiness”
Once the Secretary of State has approved a trust’s application to go forward to monitor, the trust undergoes a rigorous assessment process. Monitor’s website has more detail, as does the Department of Health’s website.
The SHA fulfils its advice and support role by:
- offering trusts the opportunity to have a Trust / SHA ‘Board to Board’ meeting prior to assessment by Monitor to act as a “dummy run” for the Monitor Board to Board meeting
- helping support the trust by offering Board and Non-Executive Director development workshops
- offering more focused support as required; e.g. financial modelling, strategy development.
The Department of Health also has a development agenda, in partnership with monitor to look at models for community foundation trusts.
For further information about NHS foundation trusts please visit the Department of Health website.
