Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether foundation trusts will retain the option to have councils of governors under the 10‑Year Health Plan for England.

The Council of Governors at National Health Service foundation trusts have a range of statutory roles and powers including representing the views of local populations, staff, and other stakeholders to the foundation trusts’ board.

The removal of the Council of Governors forms part of the wider 10-Year Health Plan’s aim to ensure that hospitals put patient experiences and outcomes at the heart of their decision-making. While governors have provided helpful advice and oversight for some foundation trusts, we now need to move to a more dynamic model of drawing on patient, staff, and stakeholder insight.

The removal of the Council of Governors will require primary legislation which the Government will bring forward when Parliamentary time allows.