Arundel and South Downs MP, Andrew Griffith, has written to Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to express his deep concerns about government plans to remove the public voice from NHS Foundation Trust scrutiny.
Andrew Griffith has been made aware of plans to remove the important and statutory role of the Council of Governors to NHS Foundation Trusts as part of the government’s 10-year Health Plan.
Public Governors are a critical and legally established voice in the NHS. They are the ones who can hold the Trust’s Non-Executive Directors to account for the performance of their Trusts, and represent the public views to the Boards. NHS Foundation Trust governors are accountable to the members of public who elect them and have a duty to represent their interests. Most importantly, it is the members who elect representatives to serve on the council of governors, or become governors themselves.
Anyone can become a Member of a Trust, and are strongly encouraged to do so. As a member, you can communicate with the governors to directly share your experience, concerns and ideas, and participate in important surveys and focus groups. As a member, you can help to raise awareness of what your NHS Trust does, to make sure they continue to provide effective and relevant services and provide feedback to help them continually improve.
Membership is free, and anyone aged 12 years or over, who lives in West Sussex can become a member.
Andrew Griffith MP said:
“It is deeply worrying that the government is once again trying to erode public representation, this time in our local NHS Trust.
They are already trying to reduce local representation within our councils and here we have yet another example of a where this government is trying to reduce the democratic voice.
“I strongly urge everyone to now sign up for free membership to their local NHS Trust, protect our services and be part of holding managers to account.”
Links to your local Sussex based NHS Foundation Trusts are;
· Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust –
https://www.sussexcommunity.nhs.uk/about-us/how-we-are-run/membership
· University Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/about/membership/about/
· Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust-
https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/about-us/get-involved/become-member-governor
· NHS South East Coats Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust -
https://www.secamb.nhs.uk/join-us/become-a-member/
