Graham Stuart, MP for Beverley and Holderness, has been told the Humber Mental Health Teaching NHS Trust may now be on the verge of receiving Foundation status.
At a meeting with the Trust’s chief executive, David Snowdon, the MP heard how the Trust was now in the final stages of a process which, it hopes, will see it being granted Foundation status by the start of the New Year.
NHS Foundation Trusts have greater freedoms and flexibilities than NHS trusts in the way they manage their affairs, this extends to:
- Freedom from Whitehall control and performance management by Strategic Health Authorities
- Freedom to access capital on the basis of affordability instead of the current system of centrally controlled allocations
- Freedom to invest surpluses in developing new services for local people
- Freedom of local flexibility to tailor new governance arrangements to the individual circumstances of their community
In the latest Annual Health Check by the Healthcare Commission the Trust was rated “excellent” for service quality and “good” for use of resources. This was an improvement over the previous year and the Trust was highlighted by the Healthcare Commission as “the most improved trust” for service quality in the Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority.
Graham said: “The services provided by the Humber Mental Health Trust are just as vital to the wellbeing of constituents as any other arm of the NHS. It is because of this that I am delighted to hear the Trust may be granted Foundation status.”
At the meeting Graham also heard how Jane Fenwick, Chairman of the Trust, has been visiting carers groups across Hull and the East Riding in her additional role as Carers’ Champion.
Graham said: “While the Mental Health Trust supports and helps those with specific needs I am glad to hear attention is also being paid to the unsung and unseen army of carers who sacrifice so much for their loved ones.
“Hopefully the Trust will become a Foundation and will be able to focus on the local needs of patients and carers and escape the target driven culture of Whitehall that has done so much to undermine the NHS’ effectiveness. ”
Humber Mental Health Teaching NHS Trust provides mental health, learning disability and addiction services to the communities of Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire, representing a population of nearly 600,000.
