Foundation Hospitals are new types of organisations which have more freedom to shape their services and future. They are still 100% NHS providing healthcare free at the point of delivery.
NHS Foundation Trusts are set up as Public Benefit Corporations with a legal duty to provide NHS services to NHS patients. This means that patients, staff and the public can have more say in how the hospital is run and how NHS services are provided by becoming members of their hospital.
Chelsea and Westminster was awarded Foundation Trust status in October 2006. This allowed the Trust to retain a substantial surplus in 2006/07 for investment in clinical services, maintenance of the estate and in new, innovative service developments. The Trust's capital programme more than doubled for 2007/08 versus 2006/07.
Becoming a Foundation Trust was the right option for Chelsea and Westminster - it has led to tangible improvements in patient care and has made the Trust more accountable to patients, the public and staff. Evidence of the benefit of becoming a Foundation Trust is that the Care Quality Commission, the new health and social care regulator for England, gave Chelsea & Westminster a score of excellent for both quality of services and financial management in the 2009 NHS Annual Performance ratings which ranks the Trust among the top 9% of Trusts in England and top 12% in London. |
