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Our Organisational Structures

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 the Trust’s income, taking into account the needs of the local community. 

The successful management of the Trust is the responsibility of the Board of Directors, working together with the Council of Governors (which consists of elected public Governors, staff Governors and appointed / stakeholder Governors).  The interests of members and the many partner organisations that we work with locally are represented by the Council. 

Foundation Trusts are fully accountable to their members who can vote for public Governors and influence the way the Trust operates.

Each Foundation Trust has its own governance structure.  This is set out in the Trust’s Constitution, which is published on NHS Improvement's website.  NHS Improvement is the regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts, making sure they are well managed and governed so that they can deliver excellent healthcare for patients.  The Constitution defines how the Trust will operate.   

To understand 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 find out more about how our services fit into the urgent and emergency care system in England by watching this additonal short video, also made by the King's Fund.

Organisational Structure

The Trust Board comprises of 13 members: a non-executive Chairman, six Non-Executive Directors  and six Executive Directors, one of whom is the Chief Executive.

The role of the Board is to:

• Provide active leadership of the organisation
• Set its strategic direction and aims, ensuring that both financial and human resources are in place, and
• Monitor and review management performance.

The Board also determines the organisation's values and standards and ensures these are maintained in the conduct of the whole Trust's business. A key function of the Board is to ensure that there is effective dialogue between the local community on its plans and performance.

The Trust's Directorate structure can be found here.