03 August 2007
The NHS foundation trust sector grew further this week as regulator Monitor authorised three new foundations.
The addition of the three – all involved in mental health – means there are now 73 foundation trusts in England, 13 of which specialise in mental health and learning disabilities. The 73 have around 750,000 members and are forecast to have a combined income of £15.1bn this financial year.
The three are: Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Leeds Partnerships NHS Foundation Trust; and Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.
The Leeds trust has signed up more than 8,000 members and is the first mental health foundation in West Yorkshire. Its chair Ian Hughes said: 'We want more and more people to work with us to ensure local people have a voice in shaping services and to help combat the stigma experienced by people with mental health problems and learning disabilities.'
Chris Butler, the trust's chief executive, added: 'Becoming an NHS foundation trust brings with it freedoms that will help us to be the best at what we do for the people of Leeds and beyond.'
Monitor also announced that it had deferred Royal Liverpool Children's Trust's application and rejected the bid submitted by St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals Trust. While it would not reveal the reasons for its decisions, Monitor said it expected the issues at the Royal Liverpool to be resolved within 12 months.
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