Mental Health Trust Aims to Become Foundation Trust
28/03/2007
Gloucestershire Partnership NHS Trust has confirmed its intention to apply for Foundation Trust status as part of its blueprint for the future.
The mental health Trust will now seek authorisation from Monitor, the independent regulator, to become a Foundation Trust from 1st July 2007. In the next three months the Trust has to convince Monitor that as a Foundation Trust it would be legally constituted, well governed and financially viable and sustainable.
New development proposals for 2007-2112 being submitted to Monitor include:
- Continued expansion of community team services, caring for more people
in their own homes.
- Refurbishment of in-patient wards for older people at the Charlton
Lane site, Cheltenham.
- Expansion of Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) from 6 beds to10
in a new purpose-built facility at Wotton Lawn Hospital, Gloucester.
- Refurbishment and expansion of the Substance Misuse in-patient unit at the Charlton Lane site from 6 beds to 12.
NHS Foundation Trusts are part of the NHS. They treat NHS patients according to NHS principles and standards. They continue to provide services according to the NHS principle of free care – based on need and not the ability to pay. The difference is they are local, self-governing organisations, and so can work closely with their community to develop services that are best suited to the needs of local people.
With Foundation Trust status the Trust would have more financial freedom and
stability. This is because a new funding system would allow it to borrow money,
up to an agreed limit, and keep any surpluses, which would be used to improve
services and facilities.
The Trust would also be able to agree longer term financial contracts with
its commissioners – three years instead of the present twelve months.
The new financial freedom and longer term contracts should enable the Trust
to improve services faster.
Becoming a Foundation Trust would also improve decision-making and increase its transparency and accountability, as a result of greater involvement for staff, service users, carers, key partners and the public as Members and Governors. So far the Trust has recruited almost 900 public Members, covering a good range of age and ethnic origin. All 2,136 Trust staff are given membership as a benefit of their employment. Public membership is expected to rise above 1,000 by July.
Trust Chief Executive Shaun Clee said: “Becoming a Foundation Trust would be an exciting new development. The new Members and Council of Governors would put us in a better position to respond to the needs of our local communities. The changes in financial arrangements would enable us to implement improvements to services more easily.”
A Members Event to inform the public about the Trust’s intended future as a Foundation Trust and about its current and proposed services is to be held at the Pittville Pump Room in Cheltenham on Thursday 31st May 2007. Anyone interested in attending this event or becoming a Member should contact Anna Hilditch on (01452) 891165.
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