St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust has become a Foundation Trust, it was announced today.
The decision was made by national health regulator Monitor and the trust will now be known as St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
St George’s chief executive, Miles Scott, is delighted that they have reached this milestone.
“This is a great day for our staff, our patients and the communities we serve,” he said.
“Achieving Foundation Trust status is a recognition of the high quality services and safe care we provide in hospital and in the community.”
The achievement means St George’s, whose main site is St George’s Hospital in Tooting, will now have more freedom and patients will have more choice over their healthcare.
Mr Scott added that Monitor will be looking at waiting times for patients of the trust and that St George’s will work to reduce them.
Christopher Smallwood, St George’s chairman, was equally happy and feels the recent positive results from the Care Quality Commission played a big part.
He said: “We have worked hard for this accolade and have had every area of our work scrutinised, studied and questioned.
“I am thrilled that we have risen to this challenge and were not found wanting.”
The trust provides a range of specialist, local hospital and community healthcare services to five million people.
Miranda Carter, Monitor’s Executive Director of Provider Appraisal said: “This is great news for the trust, which benefits from new freedoms, but even better news for its patients who can have a greater say over their health services.
“The trust has worked very hard to achieve foundation trust status and should feel proud of this accomplishment.”
Picture courtesy of Google maps, with thanks
