Who we are

Foundation trusts are part of the NHS and provide over half of all NHS hospital and mental health services. They are not-for-profit, public benefit corporations. Foundation trusts are different from NHS trusts because:

• they are not directed by Government, so have greater freedom to decide their own strategy and the way services are run
• they can retain surplus and borrow money to invest in new and improved services for patients
• they are accountable to their local communities through members and Governors, to their commissioners through their contracts, and to Parliament and Monitor, the regulator of foundation trusts
• anyone can become a member of a foundation trust, and these members elect the Council of Governors, who play a key role in decision-making

As a foundation trust we are:

• rated good overall by the Care Quality Commission — we were rated good for being safe, responsive, caring and well-led and outstanding for effective
• making quicker and smarter decisions which directly benefit patients
• involving patients and the public in creating and improving services, both within the Trust and in the local health community
• building great relationships with our staff: thinking creatively about how to help them give their best and reward them for it

Our constitution

Each NHS foundation trust has its own constitution, which sets out the purpose and powers, and governance arrangements of each organisation.

Read our constitution

Our constitution includes information on who can be a member and how you join; how many Governors we can have and how they are elected; how many Directors we can have and how they are appointed; and other rules about preparing annual reports and having auditors.

We are also bound by the NHS Constitution, which contains the values and principles of the NHS, its commitment to patients and the public, and its commitment to staff.

Values and objectives

Our values as an organisation:

• we work with people with lived experience to co-create and improve our services and inform our decision making
• we are caring and compassionate
• we are passionate about the quality of our work and committed to openness, the use of evidence and the application of improvement science
• we value all our staff, are concerned for their wellbeing and seek to foster leadership, innovation and excellence in our workforce
• we embrace diversity in our workforce and work to make our services and training as accessible as possible
• we work with others, in the UK and internationally, who share our values and can enable us to achieve our mission.

You can read more about our values and mission here.

We also have objectives aligned with our mission and values which focus on the quadruple aim of:

1. Delivering better health outcomes to the populations we serve
2. Continuously improving the experience of those who use our services
3. Improving and enhancing the wellbeing of those who work for us
4. Ensuring we always use our financial resources wisely

You can read more about our objectives here.

How we make decisions

When making decisions about the work we do here, we try to involve as many stakeholders as possible. We often consult with our patients and their families, our staff, our members and local residents. We also work in partnership with other organisations, from charities to other NHS providers.

As a foundation trust, we are accountable to our members through our Council of Governors. We are also accountable to Parliament through Monitor.

You can read more about our Board of Directors and our Council of Governors.