Hospital Shape Up

South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust is applying to become a Foundation Trust (FT) and a key part of the FT application process is a formal 12-week public consultation exercise which began on Monday 7 April and continues to Monday 30 June 2008.

This consultation period has included a series of open public meetings that began at Warwick Gates Community Centre on Tuesday 15 April and will conclude at Kenilworth’s De Montfort Hotel on Friday 20 June. People living in the area have been giving a positive response to the Trust’s vision of making its services ‘Fit for the Future’ and its plans for gaining FT status.

Local people are also being urged to play an active role in the future of their local hospitals by signing up to become Members of the new FT.

Trust Chief Executive Glen Burley explained: “At South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust we have a clear vision for the future of our services. We want local people to share in this vision and help shape our plans for the future.

“The best way to do this is to become a Member. Membership is free and open to anyone aged 16 or over who lives in the South Warwickshire area.

“We recognise that different people will want to be involved in different ways and we aim to be flexible about what Members can do. Some people may want to simply receive regular information by email or newsletter so they can keep up to date with the Trust’s activities, whilst others may want to help us develop our services by giving us their views or by taking part in focus groups or playing a more active role in gathering patient feedback. Either option is fine and those people who want to be even more involved can put themselves forward for election to the Council of Governors.

“Our Members will play a pivotal role in the exchange of information and ideas between us and the community we serve. They will tell us how we could improve our services and act as the link with the community gathering views from their friends and family. I would therefore urge everyone to consider becoming a Member to help ensure that our proposed Foundation Trust works effectively and in your interests.”

Membership applications can be made either by completing the form in the back of the FT brochure available at both Stratford and Warwick Hospitals; online at www.warwickshire.hospital.nhs.uk/ft; by emailing ft@swh.nhs.uk or contacting the Trust’s FT Office at Freepost RRUR-BBAH-CAJA, Foundation Trust Office, Warwick Hospital, Lakin Road, Warwick, CV34 5BW. There is also a freephone number for the FT Office which is 0800 085 2471.

More information on the consultation (including an electronic copy of a detailed consultation document) is available on the Trust’s website at www.warwickhospital.nhs.uk

[I have pointed out to the Trust that the time to send out press releases like this is before the public consultation process starts rather than as it finishes, but they don’t seem to find that particularly important – Ed.]

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Last modified: June 27, 2008