Getting involved in your NHS foundation trust

NHS foundation trusts provide for greater local accountability to patients and service users, local people and NHS staff. The principles behind NHS foundation trusts build on the sense of ownership that many local people and staff feel for their hospital and other health services.

All NHS foundation trusts have a duty to engage with their local communities and encourage local people to become members of the organisation. NHS foundation trusts have to take steps to ensure that their membership is representative of the communities they serve.

As part of the application process, NHS trusts are required to set out their detailed proposals for the minimum size and composition of their membership.

Anyone who lives in the area, works for the trust, or has been a patient or service user there, can become a member of an NHS foundation trust. This gives staff and local people a real stake in the future of their hospital.

Members can:

  • receive information about the NHS foundation trust and be consulted on plans for future development of the trust and its services;
  • elect representatives to serve on the Board of Governors; and
  • stand for election to the Board of Governors.

The Board of Governors works with the Board of Directors – responsible for the day-to-day running of the foundation trust – to ensure that the foundation trust delivers NHS care and acts in a way that is consistent with the terms of its authorisation. In this way, the Board of Governors plays a role in helping to set the overall direction of the organisation.

The Board of Governors can:

  • appoint or remove the chairman and the other non-executive directors;
  • approve an appointment (by the non-executive directors) of the chief executive;
  • decide the remuneration and allowances, and the other terms and conditions of office, of the non-executive directors;
  • appoint or remove the foundation trust’s auditor;
  • be presented with the annual accounts, any report of the auditor on them and the annual report; and
  • provide their views to the Board of Directors when it is preparing the foundation trust’s forward planning publications.

The Board of Directors of an NHS foundation trust is made up of both executive, for example the chief executive and finance director, and non-executive directors. You can contact your local NHS foundation trust to find out if it has any vacancies for non-executive directors.

Contact your local NHS foundation trust for more information on how to become a member, governor or non-executive director. A list of NHS foundation trusts, together with contact details, can be found on the NHS foundation trust directory.