Our application to become an NHS Foundation Trust

Who are we? NHS provider of mental health, disability and substance misuse services Local services – and some specialist regional/national services Community, day patient and in-patient services One of largest NHS Trusts of our kind in England £280 million budget 7,000 staff operating from 150 sites for patients and staff serving a population of 1.4 million

Our Purpose and Vision. To deliver excellence in mental health and disability services. To provide safe services that are comparable with the best in the country. To provide services that meet standards that are nationally and internationally accepted as best practice. To be the preferred provider of mental health and disability services for local people who need these services. To be the employer of choice in the local NHS.

Working Age Adult Mental Health Services For working age adults we will improve services for inpatients, getting the balance right between community and hospital services Older People’s Services The level of services for older people with mental health problems are different across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear – this is unfair. We will work to provide the best possible care to older people – regardless of where they live Our Priorities

Children and Young People’s Services We will improve services for children and young people by bringing together some of our mental health and learning disability services and providing these in new, high quality accommodation Learning Disability Services People with a learning disability who no longer need treatment should not live in a hospital. We will continue to work with our partners to help people to move back to their local area. We are exploring the development of an assessment and treatment centre for people living in Gateshead and South Tyneside Our Priorities

Specialist Services We will continue to improve the smaller, more specialist services which we provide, for example our eating disorders service and mother and baby service, in line with national guidance and best practice. We will also improve our “talking therapies” services Forensic Services We will provide a comprehensive range of local and national services for individuals, regardless of age and gender, provided in high quality settings together with services which support individuals in the community Our Priorities

What is an NHS Foundation Trust? A public benefit corporation – something like the Co-operative Society or mutual building societies. Different from existing NHS Trusts … not subject to control from Whitehall - more local freedom to develop services Run differently …local people have more say through becoming members and electing a Council of Governors But still part of the NHS – subject to NHS inspections, standards, performance ratings. And Foundation Trusts continue to provide free care, based on need not ability to pay

Why do we want to become an NHS Foundation Trust?  Stronger ways of getting the views of local people, service users, carers and our staff, to help improve our services.  Provides opportunities to work more closely with our partner organisations to improve our local services  Provides more flexibility to develop services to meet local needs  Gives us some greater financial freedom – able to re-invest “profits” in our services; able to borrow capital to build new facilities  Helping us to improve our planning and use of resources

Proposals for running the Foundation Trust. Anyone in the area aged 14 and over can be a member – public, service users, carers. Staff members – proposed “opt-out” arrangement Council of Governors will: appoint chair and non executive directors of the Trust Board approve the chief executive appointment represent members’ views work with and advise the Trust Board on strategic direction and priorities hold the Trust Board and Directors to account

Proposals for running the Foundation Trust. (cont’d) Proposed size and composition of Council of Governors:- 6 public governors (elected by members) 6 service users governors (elected by members) 6 carer governors (elected by members) 5 staff governors (one medical, two clinical, two non-clinical – elected by staff members) 2 governors nominated by Primary Care Trusts 6 governors nominated by local authorities 2 governors nominated by universities – Newcastle and Northumbria 2 governors nominated by other partners e.g. voluntary organisations 35 governors in total aged 16 and over

Examples of what Foundation Trusts have done Governors working with members - postal survey and holding focus groups - to find out what matters most to service users and carers. And using the results to get the Trust to prioritise these matters (University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) Governors holding well attended local meetings to discuss mental health and disability issues (Oxleas Mental Health Trust, London) Governors linking into other organisations – to help service users with jobs, housing, education, community involvement (South Essex Mental Health Trust)

Examples of what Foundation Trusts have done Oxleas Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust used £1.5 million of its “profit” in its first year to reinvest in early intervention in psychosis and psychological therapy services Moorfields Eye Hospital is launching a new specialist pharmacy manufacturing unit from its “profits” Homerton University Hospital, London was able to borrow £2million to add to a £1million gift to build a new teaching centre Ability to borrow money speeded up the building of Cambridge University Hospitals emergency admissions unit by about 3 years

What happens next? Consultation through to 30 September Consideration by Department of Health and support by end December Assessment by independent regulator (Monitor) – by end March 2008 Approval as a Foundation Trust - from 1 April 2008 Also…. Ongoing membership campaign Elections to Council of Governors – between January and March 2008

ANY QUESTIONS?