Lansley approves ambulance trust bid for foundation status

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust’s bid to become a foundation trust has taken a major step forward this month after Health Secretary Andrew Lansley approved its application.

Monitor, the regulator for foundation trusts, will now carry out the final assessment stage.

If SECAmb’s application is approved, it will become one of the first ambulance trusts to gain foundation trust status. This is likely to be in spring 2011, if everything goes to plan.

SECAmb chief executive Paul Sutton said: “Becoming a foundation trust will provide an excellent platform from which we can progress our vision to be a world-leader in pre-hospital emergency care.

“It will also provide an opportunity to respond better to the needs of our local population as they will have direct involvement in what we do.”

Sutton said one of the most attractive aspects of FT status was the role local communities will have in the organisation.

He called on residents, patients, SECAmb staff and representatives from partners organisations to register as members so that they can be more involved in how 999 emergency healthcare services are developed in future. Members can be elected onto a council of governors.