• Becoming an NHS foundation trust
• Guidance for applicants

Guidance for applicants

This document was published in 2008 and covers all of the stages of the application process from the SHA-led Trust Development Phase and the Secretary of State Support Phase through to Monitor’s assessment process and the application outcome.

In July 2010 we published this update to Chapters 5 and 6 and Monitor’s appendices and this supersedes the relevant chapters in the November 2008 Guide for Applicants.

The document is divided into downloadable chapters below, or you can click on the image above to download the whole document. Please note that you will also need to download the Amendments document, as Chapters 5 and 6 and Monitor’s appendices in the November 2008 Guide for Applicants have been amended. Please contact us if you require a hard copy of the November 2008 Guide for Applicants and note that the Amendment document is available only as a downloadable PDF.

Please note that this document is relevant to NHS trusts which applied to Monitor for authorisation on or after 4 December 2008. If your trust started the process before this time, please contact us to receive previously published guidance. 

• Chapter 1 - NHS foundation trusts: background, features and benefits (PDF)
• Chapter 2 - Overview of the NHS foundation trust application process (PDF)
• Chapter 3 - SHA assurance (PDF)
• Chapter 4 - The three phases of the NHS foundation trust application process (PDF)
• Chapters 5 and 6 - These chapters were amended in July 2010 and can be downloaded by clicking this link (an amended version of Monitor’s appendices is also included in this document) (PDF)
• Chapter 7 – Tools and support (PDF)
• Chapter 8 – Next steps and logistics (PDF)
• Department of Health appendices
• Monitor appendices - Monitor’s appendices were amended in July 2010 and can be downloaded by clicking this link (the document also contains amended versions of Chapters 5 and 6).