The council of governors provides a way to directly link the Royal Free London to the communities it serves through the active involvement and participation of patients, public, staff and organisations in the council.
The council is in place to ensure that the voice of the public, patients and staff is used to inform the trust’s decisions and improve medical care and patient experience.
The Royal Free council of governors acts as a source of ideas about how the trust can best provide its healthcare services in ways that meet the needs of members and the wider local community. In addition it ensures that the trust follows NHS values principles and the terms of its trust licence.
· Working with the Royal Free board of directors to produce plans for the future development of the trust
· Representing Royal Free members’ views
· Receiving copies of the trust’s annual accounts, auditor’s reports and annual reports at a public meeting
· Agreeing the payment levels of non-executive directors (including the chairman)
· Appointment/removal of the chairman, non-executive directors and the trust’s external auditor
· Approving the appointment of the chief executive
· Ensuring the Royal Free board acts in accordance with the trust’s identified aims and fulfils the requirements of NHS Improvement
· Act in an advisory capacity to contribute to the strategic direction of the trust
· Adhere to the trust’s code of conduct
· Attend meetings of the council of governors, occurring seven times a year
· Attend the annual general meeting and any other meetings identified by the council.
Governors will also have the opportunity to sit as observers on board committees, chair medicine for members' events and hold 'governors' surgeries' to engage with our members.
There will also be learning and development events with members of the board of directors.
We hold council meetings bi-monthly at each of the three trust hospitals in turn.