Elections to Council of Members Marks Next Step in bid to Become a NHS Foundation Trust

3 October 2004

West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust will be holding elections to the Council of Members in October in preparation for an announcement on whether it can become a NHS Foundation Trust.

More than 8,700 members of the public registered an interest in becoming members of the new NHS Foundation Trust. Of those, 101 are running for election for the Council of Members.

Government guidelines state that the members have to be elected before a decision is announced by the Office of the Independent Regulator, now called Monitor, on whether NHS Foundation Trust status has been granted.

The election process is being carried out by the Electoral Reform Ballot Services who have over 100 years experience of managing independent elections. All 8,700 people who registered an interest in becoming a member will be eligible to vote and voting papers will be distributed on Monday, October 4. All ballot papers must be received by the Electoral Reform Ballot Services by noon on Thursday, October 21.

There are 16 places on the Council of Members for public representatives.

The role of public representatives on the Council of Members will be to

·         Represent the interests and views of public members

·         Ensure the Trust operates in accordance with its terms of authorization

·         Be consulted by the Board of Directors about the future strategic plans of the NHS Foundation Trust and any significant changes to the services provided

·         Appoint the Trust¹s auditors

·         Receive copies of the Trust¹s annual accounts, auditor¹s reports and annual reports

The Council of Members, which will also include five elected staff representatives, is responsible for appointing the chairman, who will also be the Chair of the Board of Directors. However, to ensure continuity the current Chairman of the Trust Veronica Worrall will continue until 2007 when her appointment ends. The Council of Members will not be paid but will be able to claim expenses.

The election results will be known on October 22 and a decision on whether West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust is to become a NHS Foundation Trust will be announced on October 29. If successful, NHS Foundation Trust status will commence on November 1.

Notes:

The operational management and running of the NHS Foundation Trust will be in the hands of the Trust Board, which becomes the Board of Directors.

The Council of Members represent the views of their membership group regarding future strategic planning of the NHS Foundation Trust.