Short delay to Royal Surrey’s Foundation Trust bid

The Royal Surrey County Hospital's licensing as an NHS Foundation Trust has been delayed for a short time.

The delay to licensing as an NHS Foundation Trust is likely to be short-lived and FT status could be granted as early as 1^st December.  

The Trust has been working very hard towards Foundation Trust status for more than a year and over the summer was subject to scrutiny by the Independent Regulator Monitor and the Board of Directors also recently met with Monitor's Board, which is one of the final legs of the Foundation Trust application process.

Chief Executive Nick Moberly said:

"We had hoped to be licensed as an NHS Foundation Trust on the 1^st October.  We are very pleased with how the process has gone so far, but there are a small number of issues to resolve before we can be established as an FT. 

"Our Board of Directors currently has two Non-Executive Director vacancies to fill.  This is as a result of Melloney Poole moving from her Non-Executive position to become Acting Chair following the resignation of Alan Howarth in June, and Suzanne Wood indicating her intention to resign given the pressure of other commitments.   

"Monitor has asked that all vacancies be filled before they grant FT status as it is important for the Trust to have a fully staffed and operational board to start the exciting journey as a Foundation Trust.

"There are also a few internal administrative processes that require some updating.  However, we are very confident that Monitor will be able to fully support our application within the next couple of months.

"This is a great hospital, delivering excellent results that everyone in the community can be proud of.  Now that our newly elected Council of Governors is in place we are looking forward to forging closer relationships with the people we serve and to see the Royal Surrey go from strength to strength."

Chris Butler, NHS Surrey Chief Executive said:

"Moving towards Foundation Trust status requires robust leadership and governance so taking the time to ensure the Board of the Royal Surrey is up to strength is key. I look forward to working with the full team in the future."

The delay to licensing as an NHS Foundation Trust is likely to be brief and, if the Non-Executive Directors recruitment is successful, FT status could be granted by the end of the year.