A new foundation

IT TOOK a long time, but bosses at York Hospital were finally given something to celebrate this year when their organisation won the foundation status for which they had fought long and hard.

Foundation hospitals have been a source of controversy nationally - and some think it unfair that NHS organisations should be differentiated in this way.

But now York has managed to get itself the status, what does it actually mean for local people? Who is running the new organisation, and what powers do they have?

When York Hospital first began its quest to be made a foundation trust, local people were invited to join the new organisation if it went ahead.

Some 14,000 residents signed up. Along with 4,000 staff at the hospital, they make up the 18,177 people who are known as "members" of the new trust.

Some of the members then put themselves forward to become governors, and elections were held last year.

A group of 30 or so governors has now been formed. About a third have been appointed from organisations like City of York Council and the voluntary sector, and the remainder have been elected by their fellow members.

This group of people will now meet in public four times a year to discuss hospital business.

But if they are not responsible for the day-to-day running of the hospital, what powers do they actually have?

According to the official papers on how the new York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will be governed, the governors are there as "guardians" of the new organisation.

They are there to represent members and to advise the hospital on behalf of its public, staff and other organisations like local authorities and primary care trusts.

Duties include:

* Appointing or removing the chairman and other non-executive directors* Approving the appointment of the chief executive* Appointing or removing the accountancy firm responsible for auditing the hospital* Deciding how much the hospital's non-executive directors should be paid* Developing the charitable element of the hospital's affairs.

Professor Alan Maynard - who is chairman of the governors as well as of the hospital's own management board - says: "The role of the governors is to make sure we're clean and clear and explicit with regard to our financial functions, and that we're really accountable for the quality of care that we produce."

The hospital has come under fire for deciding to hold its own board meetings in private since becoming a foundation trust - but Prof Maynard said he hopes the new organisation will become more accountable to the public, not less.

"I hope it will be a better system," he said. "In the past we have some dedicated members of the community who came to our board meetings but generally they were poorly attended. When we had board meetings and I turned round and asked people if they had any questions, there weren't any.

"We want to try and engender much more feedback from the community."

The new governors of York Hospitals Foundation Trust

Appointed governors - Those who have been put forward by specific organisations:

North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust
Michael Sweet, Non-Executive Director

Two others - still to be confirmed

City of York Council
Coun Madeleine Kirk
Coun Sandy Fraser
One other - To be confirmed

North Yorkshire County Council
Coun Elizabeth Casling
Coun Caroline Patmore

Hull York Medical School
Professor Ian Greer

Voluntary Sector
Mike Moran, Chairman, York Council for Voluntary Service

Governors elected from York Hospital staff:

Staff: Medical Staff: Nursing Staff: Non-Clinical Staff: Clinical Professional

Lee Bond, consultant haematologist
Anne Penny, bed manager
Lynne Atkinson, sister
Mandy McGale, head of patient flow
Martin Skelton, senior biomedical scientistGovernors who have been elected to represent patients, carers and the public:

Patient/Carer
Geoffrey Rennie
David Vasey
Jane Farquharson
Brian Thompson

Public: City of York
James Porteous
Linda Hatton
Paul Baines
Bob Towner
Stephen Lewis
Stefan Ruff
Helen Mackman
Winifred Blackburn

Public: Selby District Council
Jane Hardy
June Baird
Rodney Price

Public: Hambleton District Council
Ann Harrison
Pam Turpin

Who's who? Some of the hospital's new governors

Coun Madeleine Kirk - appointed by City of York Council

Background: A councillor since 1991, Madeleine represents Strensall ward. She is the vice chair of York council's health scrutiny committee.

Why did you want to be a hospital governor?

I was very interested and very keen when they first started advertising to apply to become a foundation trust. They did a public consultation exercise asking people if they wanted to put their names forward to be involved if they ever got to the foundation trust stage and I completed that. Last year I did say to City of York I would be interested in being on the board. I'm a resident of York and I use that hospital and my family uses that hospital. My second child was born there.

What do you hope to achieve?

I hope that the residents of York will get some kind of representation on the services that they receive. We are there as the public's representatives - I would like members of the public to let us know what they wish to discuss, what they would like on the agenda.

Helen Mackman - elected

Background: A trained nurse, Helen worked as chief officer for the local Community Health Council - the former body responsible for monitoring the work of the NHS. When that was abolished, she worked with the York patient and public involvement forum, which took over from it.

Why did you want to be a hospital governor?

Because I feel quite passionately about our local hospital. I think we do have an excellent hospital. I've supported other people to have a voice in the NHS and now I'm looking forward to helping local people have a voice within the organisation.

What do you hope to achieve?

The main reason that I wanted to be governor and I what I want to achieve is a continuation of what I see as an already excellent hospital providing excellent care, but as people's views and opinions change in the local community, and as choices become extended with the health service, I want to make sure that those views really do get fed back to the people who manage their care.

Winifred Blackburn - elected

Background: Winifred was an occupational therapist working for various organisations including Clifton Hospital. She has now retired.

Why did you want to be a hospital governor?

All I said was that I would listen, observe, consider and be objective. Those are the main things I can contribute. My sole purpose is to see York maintains a very good hospital which we already have and want to keep.

What do you hope to achieve?

There's no one thing that stands out. It's a collective thing - there are so many governors and we can all give differently.