Foundation hospital criteria widened

Monday, 7 November 2005 12:00 AM

More hospitals will be able to apply for foundation trust status thanks to a loosening of the requirements announced by the government today.

The freedoms available to the trusts will now be open to two-star acute, specialist and mental health trusts, where previously they were restricted to those achieving three stars in performance ratings.

However, health secretary Patricia Hewitt insisted that hospitals would still have to meet the same rigorous standards demanded by Monitor, the independent regulator that authorises applications.

"Performance ratings have only been used to identify which trusts to invite applications from but they are not part of the formal authorisation criteria for foundation status," she said.

"So there is no question of lowering the bar and relaxing standards for authorisation as an NHS Foundation Trust.

"Applicants will have to demonstrate their financial and clinical viability and sustainability as well as their overall capacity and capability to take on additional freedoms and flexibilities in the same way that current NHS foundation trusts did."

The Foundation Trust Network, which represents all 32 existing NHS foundation trusts, welcomed the move, saying it would help more trusts gain the freedoms to innovate and improve services.

"We have been making the case that two-star trusts should be able to submit applications for foundation trust status and so we welcome ministers' recognition that the net can be widened without lowering the bar," said director Sue Slipman.

William Moyes, the chairman of Monitor, added: "Monitor will continue to operate its rigorous assessment process which ensures that NHS foundation trusts are financially viable and sustainable and well-managed."

However, the British Medical Association warned that attempts to broaden the entry criteria should not lead to a cut in quality of those trusts given foundation status, which allows trusts to manage their own finances.

"If more NHS trusts have the opportunity to gain foundation status earlier this will help foster a level playing field within the NHS. However, we must ensure that the change in process is driven by the need to improve standards, not meet deadlines," a spokesman told politics.co.uk.

"Quality must not be diminished in the race to increase the number of trusts with foundation status. Even some three-star hospitals have found themselves in financial difficulty this year, so it is essential that the new financial diagnostic checks give a robust assurance that trusts are meeting high standards of financial management."

Tags: