The Chair of the Royal Free NHS Trust, Pam Chesters (left), explained to a group of Belsize residents why the hospital is applying to be a Foundation Trust. She said the key reasons were to make the hospital more accountable to local people and to allow the Trust to plan investment over a longer period than it can currently, borrow on the open market and keep any financial surpluses which it can't at the moment. 
Answering questions from Cllr Arthur Graves (right) and Belsize residents, Mrs Chesters admitted that there was no clear evidence that becoming a Foundation Trust had helped other hospitals around the country and that patients should not expect to see any change in clinical outcomes unless the changes in investment rules allowed the Royal Free to react more quickly to changing needs.
Mrs Chesters encouraged as many people as possible to become members of the new Royal Free Foundation Trust so that they could vote for the new Member's Board. If you would like more information about the proposals or wish to provide feedback, please email the foundation trust project office at foundation@royalfree.nhs.uk or telephone on 020 7830 2017 or visit www.royalfree.nhs.uk/foundation.
A short guide to NHS Foundation Trusts:
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