About our NHS Foundation Trust status
Page updated 22 October 2012
Monitor, the independent regulator of NHS foundation trusts, authorised Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust, to become an NHS foundation trust from 1 May 2008. We are now known as Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust.
The best way to find out more is to browse the pages using the menus on the left. Alternatively, we produce a magazine called Mainstream for all members - not just staff.
Unlike hospital trusts without FT status, the governance of our Trust has three main components:
- A membership comprising public and staff.
- A Council of Governors* of:
- Chair
- 15 members of the public (elected governors) living in Essex (mainly north east Essex) or Suffolk
- five members of staff (elected governors) representing different professions and occupations within the Trust
- six representatives from partner organisations.
- A Board of Directors comprising:
- Chair (same person as Council of Governors' Chair)
- Non-Executive Directors
- Executive Directors.
* Why the Members' Council is now called the Council of Governors
Monitor - the independent regulator of NHS foundation trusts (FTs) - confirmed in August that certain sections of the Health & Social Care Act 2012 would come into effect on 1 October 2012. These changes affect the constitutions of all foundation trusts, including ours. Monitor require all FTs to make changes to their Constitutions to reflect the following changes:
- change of name of the governing body to "Council of Governors"
- changes to the private patient income cap
- technical adjustments to the wording of the Annual Report and business planning process.
At the October 2012 meeting of the Trust's Members' Council (now known as the Council of Governors) governors approved the changes prior to them being submitted to the Board of Directors meeting on 15 November, and then to Monitor. Read the Constitutional Review paper. (78 kb).
