Public to have say in new NHS Trust

East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the few in the South East to be invited to seek Foundation Trust status.

A public meeting in the health centre at Bexhill Hospital yesterday was the fourth of 12 such meetings being held across a trust area stretching from Rye to Seaford, Bexhill to Crowborough as part of the public consultation process to explain the principles of a foundation trust.

One of the conditions to be met if authorisation for an East Sussex Foundation Trust is to be gained is to sign up at least 4,500 members.

Judith Clabby, director of corporate services for the existing trust, set out the advantages of Foundation status.

*More accountable to local people

*Subject to less central control

*Better able to invest in local services

A Foundation Trust would be responsible directly to the NHS nationally rather than to the Strategic Health Authority.

From a deficit situation three years ago, the East Sussex Trust is currently in surplus - one of the reasons why it was invited to bid for Foundation Trust status.

If authorised, it would be able to retain any surplus at the end of the year and re-invest it in local services.

Judith Clabby said: "We really do think it is right for the people of East Sussex.

"Giving local people more say in services is a good thing.

"We also felt that we wanted to ensure that there is public confidence in their local services and pride in their local services so that when you come to hospital that you will be confident that you will be treated properly and get good quality care and have a good outcome."

NHS Foundation Trusts have a board of directors with a non-executive chairman and non-executive directors plus a chief executive and executive directors.

They have a council of elected governors, appointed governors and elected public governors with a non-executive chairman. The 25-member East Sussex board would include 15 public/patient members, five staff members plus primary care trust and local authority members.

But they also have an extended "membership" including volunteer members of the public and members of staff, who automatically become members. The 4,500 minimum membership would be one per cent of the population.

Membership would be shared across five "constituencies" - roughly the local government boundaries of East Sussex.

Members would:

*Take part in discussions about services

*Work with the Foundation Trust to improve patients' experiences of services

*Take part in surveys

*Elect the council of governors from among the membership

*Stand for election to the council of governors

*Approve and appoint to key board of directors positions

*Influence proposed changes to services and future

The three-month public consultation period ends on September 29. The bid has to demonstrate that there is public support before being presented to the Secretary of State and going before an independent regulatory body.

The ten people attending Monday's meeting included both public and staff.

Questions ranged from who would hire and fire chief executives to how budget-setting would differ from the present system if cash still came primarily from the Primary Care Trusts in "buying" services from the acute trust.

*Further information is available on the www.esht.nhs.uk/ft website or by contacting the membership office on 0845 2233099.