NHS needs all hospitals to be capable of foundation status, says Monitor

Published on: 9th July 2009

Improving quality in the NHS against a backdrop of tighter public finances will be best achieved when all NHS trusts have achieved the better standards of governance and financial management required for foundation trust status, according to Monitor, the independent regulator.

Just over half of all NHS trusts have been successfully authorised by Monitor as foundation trusts, but faster progress is required to complete the transition to an all foundation trust model. 

Monitor’s Annual Report for 2008/09, published today, describes how the regulator is responding to the challenges facing the NHS and urges all remaining NHS trusts not to lose focus in preparing their organisations for foundation trust status.

The report sets out significant achievements and developments during the past twelve months in the core areas of Monitor’s work: authorising, regulating and developing NHS foundation trusts. These include:

  • reviewing regulatory activity including the impact of the MRSA escalation policy on performance;
  • launching a new programme to support the development of non-executive directors;
  • working with the Department of Health to support the creation of a new Co-operation and Competition Panel for the NHS;
  • working with Care Quality Commission (CQC), Department of Health, and NHS East of England to introduce quality reports in foundation trusts annual reports for 2008/09; and
  • evolving Monitor’s assessment process, in particular building in lessons learned from Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust and working more closely with the CQC
  • continuing to promote and develop Service Line Management.

Commenting on the report, William Moyes, Executive Chairman, said:

“Quick progress with ensuring that all hospitals are capable of being authorised as foundation trusts is essential to deliver Lord Darzi’s ambitious quality agenda and cope with future economic pressures. There is still some way to go before that is achieved. The half of our hospital system that has not yet managed to demonstrate that they can meet the leadership and financial standards required to become a foundation trust includes some of our largest and most complex hospitals.

“I very much hope that during 2009 –10 we will see real progress with increasing the number of foundation trusts, particularly the larger teaching hospitals, and with developing realistic plans for those hospitals that are judged unlikely ever to be able in their present form to have the strength of governance and finance needed to secure authorisation.”

Notes

  1. Monitor’s Annual Report 2008/09 is available to download here.
  2. For media enquiries please contact Michael Moruzzi 020 7340 2438. 
  3. Monitor authorises and regulates NHS foundation trusts ensuring they are well-managed and financially viable in order to deliver high quality healthcare for patients. 
  4. Monitor was established in January 2004. It is independent of government and accountable to Parliament. Monitor’s functions and powers are set out in the National Health Service Act 2006.