Ambulance service seeks status change

The South Central Ambulance Service is hoping to become an NHS Foundation Trust

THE South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) is applying for a change in its status that will give it greater freedom from Government intervention.

The ambulance service, which is also responsible for the ambulance service in West Berkshire, is hoping to become an NHS foundation trust, with greater freedom over the way it implements its service and how it allocates its funds.

The service currently has NHS trust status.

Chief executive of the SCAS, Will Hancock, said: “We have ambitious plans for the future and believe that becoming a foundation trust will give us greater independence to enable us to improve our services for the benefit of our patients.”

The service has now entered into a consultation process, details of which are available from their website on www.southcentralambulance.nhs.uk

As part of the process, public meetings will be held across the area for which they have responsibility. One of these meetings will be held at Newbury Rugby Club, Monks Lane, on Monday, January 31 at 6.30pm.

Foundation trusts are a new type of NHS organisation which was first introduced in 2004.

Ambulance services have been able to apply to become foundation trusts since April 2009.

Foundation trusts remain part of the NHS and provide free healthcare based on need.

According to the consultation document published by the SCAS, amongst the advantages of becoming an NHS foundation trust are that foundation trusts have more freedom from central government and operate as public benefit corporations with more financial freedom, such as the ability to retain surplus funds to reinvest later.

The SCAS also believes that local people and organisations will have greater input in how the service is run because they will be able to become members of the organisation and could potentially be ellected to the trust's council of governors.

The consultation process continues until the end of February.