Foundation Trust

York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was granted its licence as a Foundation Trust on 1 April 2007.

This means that we are no longer directed or controlled by the Secretary of State for Health, but we are still part of the National Health Service family and subject to NHS quality standards, performance ratings and systems of inspection.

One of the greatest benefits of being an NHS Foundation Trust is that the new structure helps us to work more closely with local people and service users to help us respond to the needs of our communities. Other benefits include the chance to maximise financial freedoms, have more control over our money to improve facilities and achieve a better balance between national and local priorities.

A new way of working

A fundamental part of being an NHS Foundation Trust is the different way the organisation is structured. It is based upon the involvement of local people, patients, carers, partner organisations (such as the Primary Care Trusts, local University, Local Councils) and staff employed from within the NHS Foundation Trust.

There are three main components to the way an NHS Foundation Trust is structured:

A membership community made up of local people, patients, carers, staff from partner organisation and staff employed by the Foundation Trust
A Council of Governors elected from the membership community and also including representatives from the Trusts key partners in health and social care (the term Board of Governors is also used by some Foundation Trusts to describe this body)
A Board of Directors made up of a Chairman and Non-Executive Directors (appointed by the Council of Governors) a Chief Executive (appointed by the Non-Executive Directors) and Executive Directors (appointed by the Chief Executive and Non-Executive Directors).

You can download a copy of our Constitution here.

Further information about Foundation Trusts can be obtained from Monitor.