Foundation Trust Status Achieved
Nottinghamshire Healthcare has had its application for Foundation Trust status approved by Monitor, making it the first Trust providing high secure psychiatric services to be authorised. The Trust will now formally change its name to Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
This authorisation is based on a comprehensive assessment process that has inspected the service and financial performance of the Trust to determine whether it is legally constituted, well governed and financially viable. It also follows a successful inspection by the Care Quality Commission, who rated the quality of the Trust's services as good overall.
Becoming a Foundation Trust will allow greater freedom, stronger local ownership, and more involvement for the communities which the Trust serves. The Trust already has a Council of Governors, with local people helping to determine the development of the Trust. Membership numbers are strong, which ensures public and staff are engaged and involved, whilst holding the Trust leadership to account.
Miranda Carter, Executive Director of Provider Appraisal at Monitor, said:
“The approval of Nottinghamshire Healthcare as a Foundation Trust is good news for patients, and for the Trust which will have the freedom to tailor its services around the needs of local people.”
Dean Fathers, Chair and Ruth Hawkins, Chief Executive of the Trust, added:
“We are absolutely delighted to announce that Nottinghamshire Healthcare has been successful in its assessment, receiving formal notification on 26 February 2015. We have worked hard to achieve this outcome, with intense scrutiny and review but we have used the assessment to strengthen and improve the organisation with FT authorisation recognising the high quality services and care we provide
“We feel very proud to be part of an organisation that does so many things on so many fronts so well, day in, day out. We have a great group of multi disciplinary staff, many innovative partnerships and of course the patients, service users and carers who have benefited from our services, advice and support in the past, those who do now and those who will in the future.
“Congratulations to all of our staff and volunteers for the wonderful team effort in achieving Foundation Trust. We look forward to them sharing in the greater power and influence we now have in determining our future.”
