NHS Foundation Trust

Graphic: Become a Trust member

What being an NHS Foundation Trust means

Foundation Trusts are different from existing NHS trusts in three important ways. They:

  • Have freedom to decide locally how to meet their obligations;
  • Are accountable to local people, who will become members and Governors;
  • Are monitored by an independent regulator for NHS Foundation Trusts and NHS Trusts, called NHS Improvement (NHSI).

They are still accountable to Parliament, but local people have a real say in how their local hospital and services are run.

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust (TSDFT), like all Foundation Trusts, depends on local people and communities being involved in the decision making process in how we spend our income and the services we provide.

For example, if a MRI scanner will improve the service provided to patients, then an NHS Foundation Trust can use existing funds or borrow money to purchase one, without the need to refer to a central hierarchy for approval.

Local people have the opportunity to become involved in the running of the Trust by becoming members, with the right to elect members to our Council of Governors, or becoming a Governor themselves.

How can I influence change within the Trust?