Political support for Foundation hopefuls

Patricia Hewitt said: “All these applicants have been assessed by the Department to make sure they are ready to proceed to Monitor to be considered for authorisation as an NHS Foundation Trust. These NHS Trusts will now go through the same robust checks as other Foundation Trusts to ensure that they live up to the standards demanded by Monitor before any achieve Foundation status. These Trusts will only be successful in their application if Monitor is convinced that they have the ability to take on the new responsibilities of Foundation status.”

Bill Moyes, chairman of Monitor, added: “We welcome the opportunity to assess further applicants for NHS Foundation Trust status. NHS Foundation Trusts are required to be professionally managed and financially viable and sustainable. Those are essential criteria if they are to operate successfully, delivering world class healthcare while being responsive to the demands of their local populations.”