Issue - meetings

To receive and consider the report of the Leeds Mental Health Teaching NHS Trust.

The Chair welcomed Chris Butler, Chief Executive of the Leeds Mental Health Teaching NHS Trust to the meeting.

Mr Butler informed the Committee that the Leeds Mental Health Teaching NHS Trust had applied for Foundation Trust status and was inviting comment from Area Committees during the consultation period of the application.

He informed the Committee that the Trust operated from 70 different sites across the District, employed over 2,300 staff and provided a wide range of services to over 2,000 people a day.

Mr Butler outlined the way in how a Foundation Trust would operate and highlighted key areas such as the formation of the Trust’s Boards, Membership of the Trust and how governance would be strengthened.  He reported that the consultation period concluded at the end of September and a business plan for the formation of a Foundation Trust was to be submitted to the Department of Health (DoH) in November.  If approved by the DoH it would then be appraised by MONITOR (the independent regulator) and if successful the Foundation Trust would be operational by April 2007.

Mr Butler answered Members questions.  Issues discussed included provision of private services and how the Trust would be democratically answerable.

The Chair thanked Mr Butler for his attendance.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.