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Do you want to become more involved in the Royal Free and represent the interests of your local community? Then why not stand to become a governor?
The Royal Free is seeking to become a foundation trust in April 2012. As part of our application, we must elect a council of governors, who will be responsible for making sure the trust is responding to the needs and preferences of the local communities we serve. A ‘shadow’ council of governors has been operating at the trust since 2008.
Governors are the direct representatives of local interests within a foundation trust and play a key role in challenging the board of directors, who are responsible for setting the trust’s strategic direction and for ensuring its achievement against performance targets.
As a governor, you would:
- Appoint the non executive directors and chairman of the trust
- Play an important part in our work to improve health services for the community
- Represent members’ interests
- Use your personal experiences, and those of the members you represent, to make positive changes
- Receive the trust’s annual accounts, any report of the auditor on them and the annual report.
There will be 24 governors in all. Six will represent public members of trust, seven will represent patients and five will represent staff. The other six governors will be appointed by local stakeholder organisations including councils, GP consortia and University College London.
You must be a member of the trust to stand for election. If you are not already a member, you can apply on the Royal Free website, or by calling 020 78302071 or emailing Rfh.membership@nhs.net
The time commitment is about one day a month, depending on how involved you want, or are able, to be. This includes participation in:
- A structured induction programme
- Four to six meetings of the Council of Governors a year
- Meetings with senior trust staff for any areas in which you become particularly engaged
- Trust membership engagement events
- Joint annual performance review of the trust board
- The annual public meeting.
If you’re interested in standing, please ask for a nomination pack from Electoral Reform Services (ERS), tel. 020 888 99203, email caroline.hinchcliffe@electoralreform.co.uk. The deadline for receipt of nominations is Tuesday, 20 December.
If you have questions after reading the nomination pack, please contact our lead governor, Richard Lindley, or our board secretary, Jan Aps, via the trust on 020 7317 7535 or email jan.aps@nhs.net
You can also find out more about what the role of a governor involves at an event on Tuesday, 13 December from 5 to 6pm in the Sir William Wells Atrium. To book your free place, contact Nancy Bell on 020 7830 2071 or email rfh.membership@nhs.net.
The election will be run independently by ERS and voting will be open from 12 January to 1 February 2012 inclusive. Ballot papers will be distributed to all members with details of the candidates standing for governor.
The results of the elections will be announced on 2 February 2012 and the governors will take up their posts from 1 March.
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