Royal Surrey County Hospital Launches Foundation Trust Public Consultation

The Royal Surrey County Hospital has been given the go ahead to advance with the public consultation stage of its proposal to become an NHS Foundation Trust.

The Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford has been given the green light to consult by the Strategic Health Authority, NHS South East Coast, and the consultation will start on the 10th November 2008 and end on the 31st January 2009. 

During the public consultation there will be a number of events hosted by the Royal Surrey County Hospital at various locations within the constituencies served by the hospital.  It is a critical part of the hospital’s application to become a Foundation Trust and provides an opportunity for the hospital to get out into the communities it serves and raise awareness about the proposal and communicate the benefits of Foundation Trust status for their hospital. 

Chief Executive Nick Moberly said:

“As an NHS Foundation Trust we will be much more accountable to local people and local needs. This is a significant step forward for the Royal Surrey and we are looking forward to working together with patients, the public and all our employees and in moving forward to this status. 

“This consultation is everyone’s chance to have a say on our plans and we  are also inviting you to consider becoming a member of the new Foundation Trust and play a really important part in our future. 

“This move builds on a number of achievements over the last year, which include our services being rated as ‘excellent’ by the Healthcare Commission, meeting the Government’s targets on reducing waits from GP referral to treatment down to 18 weeks and continuing  to be one of the highest performing Accident and Emergency departments in the country. 

“But we want to build on that reputation and NHS Foundation Trust status will give us the freedom and ability to achieve that.  More importantly, we passionately believe that our patients come first and we want to work closely with them and the communities we serve as we plan and develop our future.” 

The public open events scheduled at the time of going to press are as follows: