6/5/2008

News in Farnborough

Foundation status for mental health trust

AN NHS trust providing mental health services to patients in Surrey and north-east Hampshire has been granted foundation status.

Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Trust has become the first mental health and learning disability trust in the South East to be given the status.

It gives trusts more control over their own finances and freedom from many government targets.  

Frimley Park Hospital is already a foundation trust and the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford recently won approval to begin the lengthy application procedure.

Surrey and Borders Partnership’s new status took effect from May 1.

In the 15 months since a public consultation on the proposal to seek foundation status began, more than 4,600 people in Surrey and north-east Hampshire have become members of the trust, in addition to the 3,500 staff.

A Council of Governors will now oversee the trust’s work and hold the directors to account for delivering services to 1.3 million people.

Fiona Edwards, trust chief executive, said: “This is a great achievement and a real vote of confidence in our successes to date and in our abilities to deliver on our ambitions for the future.”

First printed in: Surrey Advertiser Online

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