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Hospital gains ministerial approval for Foundation Trust status

19 January 2006

Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust has been given the go-ahead by the Secretary of State for Health, Patricia Hewitt, to submit an application to become an NHS Foundation Trust Hospital to the Foundation Trusts’ regulatory body, Monitor.

Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust has been given the go-ahead by the Secretary of State for Health, Patricia Hewitt, to submit an application to become an NHS Foundation Trust Hospital to the Foundation Trusts’ regulatory body, Monitor.

The Trust will now go into detailed discussions with Monitor regarding its application. These will cover the service development strategy, financial viability and governance of the Trust as a Foundation Trust and the timing of its move to Foundation Trust status.

It will also begin the formal process of creating a Members’ Council by holding elections for the Council from amongst the 4,000 local people who have already voiced their interest in being members of the new Foundation Trust.

Chief Executive Heather Lawrence said: “We warmly welcome the news that we can now take our application for Foundation Trust status to the next stage.

“Becoming an NHS Foundation Trust will give patients, staff and members of the public more say in how the hospital is run and how NHS services are provided. The Trust will be more accountable to the local community and its staff through its membership and a new Members’ Council which will work with the Board of Directors as a ‘critical friend’, helping us to shape the way the Trust develops in coming years.

“The next crucial stage for us is to elect our Members’ Council with elections starting on 25 January. We welcome nominations – and indeed, we welcome more local people to become members’ and join us in this exciting venture.”

For details about being a member of the new NHS Foundation Trust please call the Patient Advice and Liaison Service on 020 3315 6727.

The election process for the Members’ Council is being managed by Electoral Reform Services on our behalf to ensure that our processes are independent. To ask for a nomination form people should telephone the Electoral Reform Services on 020 8365 8909.

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George Vasilopoulos