17
October
2012
|
09:54
Europe/London

Oxfordshire County Council supports foundation trust bid

The council’s Cabinet heard from Sir Jonathan Michael, chief executive of OUHT, that the move to becoming a foundation trust would be backed by certain key commitments and developments.

Foundation Trusts differ from other NHS Trusts in that they have a membership drawn from communities served by the trust and the staff that work for it. The membership elects a council of governors which is involved by the trust’s board of directors in setting the future direction for the trust.
 
Trusts have the freedom to respond to local needs and, through their public and staff membership, they are able to reflect the concerns and wishes of their local population.
 
County Councillor Arash Fatemian, Cabinet member for Adult Services, said: “The council is happy to support the application having received reassurances from Sir Jonathan Michael that they are committed to a number of important principles.
 
“We have an important role to play in ensuring that Oxfordshire’s residents get the best from any major change such as this. Having heard from Sir Jonathan Michael we feel that we are able to throw our weight behind their bid.
 
“There are a number of things that we want to see such as actively providing more care in the community and working towards preventing or limiting the extent to which people need care.
 
“As well as the obvious health implications for our residents the county council recognises that OUHT is one of the most important employers in Oxfordshire. It employs more than 10,000 people with a turnover of over £500m. Through their links with Oxford University OUHT is also a vital part of the bio-medicines sector of the county’s economy.”
 
The government has said that all NHS Trusts must become Foundation Trusts by 2014. The county council’s Cabinet voted to support the application of Oxford University Hospitals Trust to become a Foundation Trust on the basis that it is committed to the following principles:
 

  • Commitment to the highest standards of medical and nursing services for both secondary and tertiary care. This includes ensuring that frail older people are treated with dignity and respect in accordance with the standards set by the Commission on Dignity in Care for Older People.
  • Continued and strengthened commitment to working in partnership with the rest of the NHS, local government and other partners to deliver the most effective and efficient ways of meeting the care needs of the people of Oxfordshire.
  • Actively supporting the move to providing more care within the community rather than in a hospital setting as part of a broader commitment to the local delivery of services.
  • Actively supporting developments which prevent people from needing care or limiting the extent to which they might need care.
  • Commitment to the continued existence of the Horton hospital providing district general hospital services to the people of north Oxfordshire.
  • Commitment to continued support for services in Community Hospitals:

- peripheral clinics;

- minor injuries units (MIU) nurses; radiographers;

- midwifery units.