Liverpool heart hospital achieves NHS Foundation Trust status

Nov 30 2009 by Laura Sharpe, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL’S Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Trust today becomes an NHS Foundation Trust.

It gives the hospital more freedom and control on how to spend money and shows the trust is strong enough to be decentralised from central government.

Trust Chairman Neil Large said: “Today we have achieved the recognition this trust deserves. The Foundation Trust Regulators, Monitor, have declared we are fit for purpose and our strength as a viable and competent Foundation Trust has been acknowledged.

“As a Foundation Trust, we will have more freedom and control over our financial management so that we can direct funds where they are needed most to enable us to continue to provide the highest quality care possible for our patients. We now look forward to working with our council members and Foundation Trust members to achieve our long term ambitions.”

The hospital has spent months preparing to become one of the 127 NHS Foundation Trusts across the country.

They are the forefront of the government’s commitment to decentralising services and allowing decision making on a local level.

Chief executive Raj Jain said: “This is excellent news for our Trust, our patients and our staff because our vision to become a national and international leader in cardiothoracic care is now in our own hands.

“The application process has been arduous and lengthy but very worthwhile as our future has been secured and we can work towards fulfilling our promise to provide clinical excellence with safety and compassion to patients.”