Building new mutuals from foundation trusts
Released: 16/08/2010
The time is right for foundation trusts to be freed of the vestiges of state micromanagement and become mutuals, says the NHS Alliance
In a newly published paper, Building new mutuals from the foundation trusts?, the NHS Alliance states that, by devolving power to local people and placing co-operative and mutual values at the heart of the health service, foundation trusts could become more accountable organisations that hold the key to a more sustainable and efficient NHS.
Michael Sobanja, chief executive of the NHS Alliance, said: “The whole ethos of public accountability and that of the Coalition’s Big Society ought to be about allowing NHS staff to lead the way whilst giving the public a voice. There will be tough decisions ahead and forging a sense of public ownership among local communities will help alleviate some of the tensions such decisions will inevitably create.”
The Department of Health has already released a consultation paper for the future of NHS foundation trusts, which makes it clear that the UK Government would like to see some foundation trusts having a membership drawn entirely from their employees. It is also the government’s intention that all NHS trusts would become foundation trusts within three years. So the time is ripe for foundation trusts to embrace the principles of mutual and co-operative organisations and fully engage with its members and local people in a meaningful way.
According to the NHS Alliance paper, foundation trusts still have a long way to go. It says: “Despite board, governor and staff’s best efforts, it can be argued that the public is still largely excluded from the big decisions that NHS foundation trusts take day in, day out. These account for large sums of public money. And of course the public is still currently largely excluded from commissioning. Ideally more open governance and public involvement should apply across the whole health economy, not just one part of it.”
The paper goes on to suggest that public elections for NEDs on foundation trust boards, not just for the governors, could be an option. “Many large co-operatives – comparable in employment numbers and financial turnover with foundation trusts – do just that.”
Notes to editors:
1. The NHS Alliance is the only independent body that brings together primary care trusts’ chief executives and other senior managers, doctors and practice managers, nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals, along with board chairs and members. We are a value-driven organisation, with no political affiliation, which works in partnership with various bodies associated with the NHS to create a progressive health service that is free from the traditional tribalism of single interest groups.
2. For more information, please email pressoffice@nhsalliance.org or call 07772756674.