NHS community trust gains greater local freedoms

An NHS community and mental health trust has been granted greater freedom to make decisions locally after it became an advanced foundation trust.

Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was among the first six trusts to receive the designation.

Advanced foundation trusts free "local leaders from central bureaucracy" and are "a major shift in how the NHS is run", according to the government.

Chief executive Angela Hillery described it as "an important milestone" for the health service.

"Becoming an advanced foundation trust gives us a strong platform to continue innovating, working across organisational boundaries and improving care for local people," she said.

The trust provides more than 240 services across the county, working from community hospitals, specialist clinics and care homes.

The health care it provides ranges from childbirth to end-of-life care, as well as mental health services.

On Thursday, it had to temporarily remove six palliative care beds from use for end-of-life patients due to an "unexpected shortfall in consultant cover".

The reform is part of the government's 10-year health plan, designed to treat more people closer to home.

Advanced foundation trusts also have the opportunity to be designated as eligible to hold an integrated health organisation (IHO) contract to oversee the health budget for a defined local population.

The Northamptonshire trust is one of two undergoing an initial assessment for an IHO and is likely to find out whether it is successful later this year.

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