How we fit into the NHS
NEAS became a Foundation Trust in November 2011.
NHS Foundation Trusts were created to allow decisions to be made by local organisations and communities which are free from central government control and able to decide how best to spend a Trust’s income based on the needs of the local community.
This means we’re still part of the NHS, but we’re locally run and accountable to patients and staff rather than central government.
Managing the Trust
The strategic direction of the Trust, and oversight of its performance for the patients and publics of northeast England, are key responsibilities of the Board of Directors, with everyday management of the Trust delegated to the Executive Management Group.
The Board also works closely with the Foundation Trust’s Council of Governors, which is made up of elected public governors, staff governors and appointed governors, to ensure that Council can properly represent the interests of Trust members and the wider public, while also holding the Board’s Non-Executive Directors to account for the performance of the Board of Directors.
Our Board
Our Trust Board is currently made up of the Chair and six Non-Executive Directors, the Chief Executive and five Executive Directors, plus three non-voting Directors and a non-voting Associate Non-Executive Director.
The Trust Board meets formally throughout the year in Public and Private sessions and for the purpose of Board Development Sessions or Board Strategy Seminars. The Board functions as a unitary team, with day to day management activities delegated to the Executive. Its core roles are as follows:
To enable and support our staff to deliver safe, effective and responsive care for the patients and publics of northeast England: this is our Mission;
To produce a Strategy and a set of enabling Strategic Plans that allows the Trust to deliver its Mission in line with our values of compassion, accountability, respect and excellence;
To monitor and review the performance of the Trust from the perspectives of our patients, our staff, the wider public (including taxpayers), our partners and other stakeholders;
To establish, monitor and mitigate the major risks affecting the current performance and future direction of the Trust.
The Trust's Directorate structure
Governance & regulation
Each Foundation Trust has its own governance structure, which is set out in the Trust’s Constitution and published on NHS Improvement's website.
NHS Improvement is the regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts and makes sure they are well managed and governed so they can deliver excellent healthcare for patients. The Constitution defines how the Trust will operate.
Find out more
To learn more about how Foundation Trusts fit into the modern NHS structures in England, you can watch this short video, which is made by the King's Fund.
You can also find out more about how our services fit into the urgent and emergency care system in England by watching this additional short video, also made by the King's Fund.