NHS Trust
Encyclopedia
A National Health Service trust provides services on behalf of the National Health Service
(NHS) in England
and NHS Wales.
The trusts are not trusts
in the legal sense but are in effect public sector corporations. Each trust is headed by a board
consisting of executive
and non-executive director
s, and is chaired by a non-executive director. Non-executive directors are recruited by open advertisement.
All trust boards are required to have an audit committee consisting only of non-executive directors, on which the chair may not sit. This committee is entrusted not only with supervision of financial audit
, but of systems of corporate governance
within the trust.
†May apply to Monitor
become an NHS foundation trust
, gaining greater independence.
, organised on a regional basis, which have the responsibility of coordinating the strategies of the trusts in their regions. These are also headed by boards of executive and non-executive directors.
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
(NHS) in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and NHS Wales.
The trusts are not trusts
Trust law
In common law legal systems, a trust is a relationship whereby property is held by one party for the benefit of another...
in the legal sense but are in effect public sector corporations. Each trust is headed by a board
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
consisting of executive
Executive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
and non-executive director
Non-executive director
A non-executive director or outside director is a member of the board of directors of a company who does not form part of the executive management team. He or she is not an employee of the company or affiliated with it in any other way...
s, and is chaired by a non-executive director. Non-executive directors are recruited by open advertisement.
All trust boards are required to have an audit committee consisting only of non-executive directors, on which the chair may not sit. This committee is entrusted not only with supervision of financial audit
Audit
The general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product. The term most commonly refers to audits in accounting, but similar concepts also exist in project management, quality management, and energy conservation.- Accounting...
, but of systems of corporate governance
Corporate governance
Corporate governance is a number of processes, customs, policies, laws, and institutions which have impact on the way a company is controlled...
within the trust.
Commissioning trusts
- NHS primary care trustNHS Primary Care TrustAn NHS primary care trust is a type of NHS trust, part of the National Health Service in England. PCTs commission primary, community and secondary care from providers. Until 31 may2011 they also provided community services directly. Collectively PCT are responsible for spending around 80% of the...
(PCT), which provides primary carePrimary carePrimary care is the term for the health services by providers who act as the principal point of consultation for patients within a health care system...
services and commissions secondary care services - NHS care trustNHS Care TrustAn NHS care trust, is a type of NHS trust in the English National Health Service and NHS Wales that provides both health and social care. They may carry out a range of services, including social care, mental health services or primary care services...
†, providing/commissioning health and social care services, usually with responsibilities of both a PCT and a local authority
Commissioned trusts
- NHS hospital trustNHS Hospital TrustAn NHS hospital trust, also known as an acute trust is an NHS trust that provides secondary health services within the English National Health Service and in NHS Wales. Hospital trusts are commissioned to provide these services by NHS primary care trusts....
† (also known as an acute trust), which provides secondary care services - NHS mental health services trustNHS Mental Health Services TrustAn NHS Mental Health Trust provides health and social care services for people with mental health problems in England. They are one kind of NHS trust, the regional organisations that together form the National Health Service....
† - NHS ambulance services trust
†May apply to Monitor
Monitor (NHS)
Monitor, also known as the Independent Regulator for NHS Foundation Trusts, is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom. Its purpose is to regulate NHS Foundation Trusts or Foundation Hospitals - hospitals that have opted out of direct governmental control. The body was established in...
become an NHS foundation trust
NHS Foundation Trust
An NHS foundation trust is part of the National Health Service in England and has gained a degree of independence from the Department of Health and local NHS strategic health authority.Foundation Trusts are represented by the , .-Function:...
, gaining greater independence.
Special health authorities
- NHS special health authorityNHS Special Health AuthorityA special health authority is a type of NHS trust which provide services on behalf of the National Health Service in England. Unlike other types of Trust, they operate nationally rather than serve a specific geographical area....
, organised on a national basis, dealing with NHS-wide issues
Strategic health authorities
In addition there are (after reorganisation in 2006) ten NHS strategic health authoritiesNHS Strategic Health Authority
NHS strategic health authorities are part of the structure of the National Health Service in England. Each SHA is responsible for enacting the directives and implementing fiscal policy as dictated by the Department of Health at a regional level. In turn each SHA area contains various NHS trusts...
, organised on a regional basis, which have the responsibility of coordinating the strategies of the trusts in their regions. These are also headed by boards of executive and non-executive directors.