Trust members sought for hospital

The hospital is among the best performing in the country

People in north Devon are being urged to sign up as NHS Foundation Trust members to help a hospital shape its services.

Earlier this month, Health Secretary John Reid approved the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital's application to become a foundation hospital.

As a result, the hospital is looking for members in north Devon, part of its catchment area, to register before the middle of next month so they can vote for their candidate on the Council of Governors.

Governors will represent the needs of people in the areas that they come from.

Foundation benefits

When the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital gains foundation status, it will have greater responsibility for the services it provides, plus more control of its budget.

It is eligible for the status because inspectors placed it among the best performing healthcare trusts in the country.

The trust is placing adverts in the local press, libraries, schools and GPs' surgeries to recruit foundation trust members.

All members of the will receive regular newsletters and invitations to meetings and events.

The hospital's chief executive, Angela Pedder, said when the trust got foundation status, it would have more freedom to manage its own affairs.

She said the hospital realised there were risks with it having more responsibility, but that it was also believed that the benefits of having the status outweighed the possible disadvantages.