Foundation Trust Status

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust is on course to become a Foundation Trust and is making progress towards making an application to Monitor, the independent regulator of Foundation Trusts.

The Trust has the full support of the Department of Health, the main commissioning Primary Care Trust and the Strategic Health Authority in reaching this goal.  All parties have signed a Tripartite Formal Agreement (TFA) which affirms this commitment.  Specifically the TFA confirms the date when the Trust will submit their "FT ready" application to the Department of Health to begin their formal assessment towards achievement of FT status.

It is recognised that the Trust, along with many other parts of the NHS, is facing financial challenges year on year.  Within the health economy locally these include the continued drive by commissioners for out of hospital patient care against rising demand, the additional costs arising from investing in state-of-the-art hospital facilities and the requirement to make year on year cost efficiency improvements.  Despite these challenges the Trust broke even in the last financial year (2010/11) after meeting a cost improvement plan of £31.5m.

Whilst PFI payments are part of the Trust's financial challenge these make up only 10% of its expenditure and will not prevent the achievement of FT status.  In addition to the Trust's own financial review mechanisms it is taking part in the government's national review of PFIs.

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust is in preparation to submit its application before 31 March 2013 and is working with its partners to develop its long term business and financial plan.

About Foundation Trusts

NHS Foundation Trusts are independent, not-for-profit, public benefit corporations. Currently Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust is directly accountable to the Secretary of State for Health but as an NHS Foundation Trust, we would be managed differently and be more accountable to local people who can become members.
 
NHS Foundation Trusts are part of the NHS and still need to meet national targets and healthcare standards.  This means that we will have more freedom to involve and work with local people in exactly what healthcare is needed for our communities and to respond to those needs more effectively
 
NHS Foundation Trusts have a board of Directors and a Council of Governors made up of elected members and are accountable to the independent regulator; 'Monitor'.  Members will be able to influence plans and proposals to improve our services and stand for election to the Council of Governors.
 
NHS Foundation Trusts: 

• Provide and develop services for NHS patients
• Treat NHS patients according to NHS principles and standards 
• Are part of the NHS, and subject to NHS systems of inspection
• Give local people a voice to shape local services
• Are controlled and run locally, not nationally
• Are checked by Monitor, the independent regulator of NHS foundation trusts

Please click on the links below to find out more about Foundation Trusts.

• A Short Guide to Foundation Trusts
• Detailed Information about Foundation Trusts
• Monitor, the Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts