Wes Streeting wants to give the highest performing organisations new advanced foundation trust status and greater freedom to make decisions.
High-performing NHS trusts will be given more independence to deliver faster, better and more personalised care.
Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting wants to end the top-down control of trusts and give the highest-performing organisations new advanced foundation trust status. The new designation will reward the very best leaders in the NHS with greater freedom to make decisions locally – from how services are organised to how money is spent – so that care can be designed around what works best for local communities.
“Under our plans, if trusts manage their finances well, innovate and deliver for patients, we will give them the space to lead,” said Streeting.
“These reforms mark a fundamental shift from command and control to collaboration and confidence,” he added.
Greater freedom and flexibility
NHS England has nominated eight of the highest-performing trusts to become the first advanced foundation trusts, which will be among those eligible to be considered based on their record of delivering quality care, strong finances and effective partnerships with staff and local services.
The eight are Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust, Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust and Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust.
The trusts will be independently reviewed at least every five years. Those that can prove they deliver good services and have sound finances will be able to spend any money they’ve saved since last year on new equipment, buildings and improving patient care. If the amount trusts want to invest is less than £100 million, the level of paperwork will be vastly reduced.
“This new status would give us greater freedom and flexibility to provide better services, invest more money into the local system and deliver against the three big shifts set out in the 10 Year Health Plan,” said Birju Bartoli, chief executive of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, while James Benson, chief executive of Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust, called the news “an exciting step in our journey as a leading provider of community healthcare services”.
