Foundation Trusts were brought into being by the Government in
2004 and now provide more than 90 per cent of all NHS acute
hospital and mental health services in the North West. They are a
way of making sure that more decisions are made at a local
level.
Foundation Trust status will mean that we still offer all the
benefits of being part of the NHS, such as free care at the point
of contact, but with more freedom to make the right decisions for
service users, carers and staff.
Is this a way of privatising the NHS?
No. The Trust will remain part of the NHS and remain a
publicly-funded and operated organisation that is free at the point
of contact.
How will Foundation Trust status benefit me?
Foundation Trust status will mean a real improvement in the
level of care that service users receive, benefiting the entire
local community.
Foundation Trusts are able to retain their surpluses year on
year and also borrow to invest in services and equipment, so that
improvements can be made when they are needed and without
delay.
Also, by making decisions at a local level in consultation with
stakeholders we will be able to ensure that the right issues are
being addressed.
No-one knows better than our service users -and the carers and
staff who support them - what they need, and Foundation Trust
status will enable everyone connected to the Trust to influence the
important decisions that directly affect them. Members will also be
better informed of the services we provide through a regular
newsletter.
What does membership involve?
Members can be as involved as much or as little as they want.
This may mean simply reading the newsletter and filling out
surveys, or attending focus groups and special events and standing
for Governor or Non-Executive Director positions.
We are keen to have an active and involved membership and will
encourage this at every opportunity, but we also understand that
people lead busy lives and may just want to be kept informed about
our work and the services available.
We want our members to:
- help us learn from their experiences
- have a say in how we run our organisation
- have a say in deciding who runs our organisation
- help us to change and improve our services.
View
our Membership Strategy.
How will the Foundation Trust be run?
Our Board of Directors will still be responsible for the
day-to-day running and planning of services, but this will be
overseen by a Council of Governors, who will be elected by our
members.
Who can be a member?
- Any of our service users
- Anyone who lives inside our boundaries and is over the age of
12
- Anyone who lives outside our boundaries within England and
Wales who has an interest in our work
- All employees of the Trust regardless of where they live, plus
staff of other organisations who have provided services to the
Trust
We want the membership to accurately reflect the population of
the areas we serve in terms of age, gender, ethnicity and
socio-economic background and will regularly examine the
composition of the membership community to make sure that we reach
out to groups who are under-represented.
Many of our service users and carers will experience social
exclusion in areas of their lives and we are determined to ensure
that everyone has a voice.