Governors’ activities
The Council of Governors consists of elected Foundation Trust representatives from three areas—patients, public, and staff—and nominated representatives of key local stakeholder organisations. Details are on the Council of Governors page.
The Council works with the Board of Directors as a ‘critical friend’, keeping an eye on performance and helping to shape the Trust’s future. Some of the ways in which the Governors do this are set out below.
Patient experience
There is Governor involvement in the Patient Environment Action Team (PEAT) Committee which concerns itself with all aspects of patients’ experience in the hospital. Governors take part in focused work on aspects of patient experience, for example in regular audits of hospital cleaning and involvement in a working group to review signage in the hospital.
Quality
The Council of Governors has a Quality sub-committee of ten Governors which exists to assist the Trust in the development and implementation of the Trust’s quality programme. It monitors the quality of the services delivered by the hospital to identify priorities for improvement and provides input into the annual Quality Account which the Trust is statutorily required to publish. Governors are playing a lead role in seeking ways to make the document more accessible and readable.
Governors join in the monthly half-day Senior Nurse Clinical rounds in specified areas to check on practice compared to the Essential Standards laid down by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Two Governors are members of the Trust’s Assurance Committee, whose role it is to assure the Board on the quality of clinical and facilities services, the risks associated with them, and the effectiveness of internal systems of control and management.
The Council of Governors has established a Quality Awards scheme for individual members of staff or teams who have made an outstanding contribution to quality for patients in terms of safety, patient experience and clinical effectiveness.
Engagement with Foundation Trust members and the general public
The Council of Governors has a Membership sub-committee of eight Governors which is concerned with the development and implementation of the Trust’s membership strategy, including recruitment, retention and engagement. Governors support this in a number of ways including:
- Proofreading and suggesting amendments to hospital publications to make sure they can be easily understood by the general reader
- Funding the Information Zone to be set up which includes a plasma screen and touch terminal providing information about the hospital and its services
- Hosting regular ‘Meet a Governor’ sessions in the Information Zone
- Funding and helping to plan the hospital’s annual Open Day
- Participating in the Annual Members’ Meeting to highlight and explain the role of the Governors and give a brief account of the previous 12 months
- Promoting Trust membership alongside the Mobile Health Clinic at the Chelsea Football Club and other locations within the hospital’s catchment area—a Governor is a member of the Steering Group for the clinic
- Helping to organise a Teddy Bear Picnic to promote children’s health.
Hospital website
Governors have contributed to the development of the hospital website, advising on the ease of use from the patient’s point of view and suggesting ideas for the Foundation Trust pages. Governors take part in monthly Website Development Steering Group meetings.
Strategic Development
Governors discuss strategic issues with senior management and give their views on possible future developments. They also contribute to the annual business planning exercise.
Lobbying and campaigning in support of the hospital
Governors have supported the hospital through official submissions during public consultations on issues including:
