Comment on Public Accounts Committee report on achievement of foundation trust status by NHS hospital trusts

Published: 15 December 2011

RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary, Dr Peter Carter, said:

“Good financial management and high quality patient care should be equal partners as hospital Trusts strive to achieve foundation status. As previous examples have shown, when Trusts are made to fit models that don’t work for them, patient safety can be put at risk.

“The Department of Health must take a co-ordinated approach to dealing with Trusts as they attempt to make this transition. Board members and chief executives need to be honest about the challenges ahead and refrain from operating a ‘closed door culture’ , which was a concern raised by an RCN report last year.

“It’s not about viewing one Trust in isolation, but considering the impact these issues have on the wider NHS in England. Without clear leadership and a strategic overview there is a real risk that we could see gaps or duplication of services start to appear.”

Notes for Editors

In 2010 the RCN published a report on the future of foundation Trusts
http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/314619/05.10_New_Foundations_the_future_of_NHS_Trust_Providers_Report.pdf

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Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interest of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.