Why don’t NHS foundation trusts hold their board meetings in public?
Meetings of the board of governors must be open to the public but a trust’s constitution can allow for members of the public to be excluded for special reasons. This is required by schedule 7 of the NHS Act 2006. However, there is no legal requirement for NHS foundation trusts to hold meetings of their board of directors in public; it is at the discretion of the individual foundation trust to decide whether to allow public access to meetings. The two key requirements of NHS foundation trust boards are that they are effective – to ensure that their organisations operate efficiently and manage resources well – and that they are publically accountable. It is crucial that they fulfil both of these requirements, but legislation and Monitor’s regulatory regime leave it to each foundation trust to determine locally how they best achieve this. The NHS Foundation Trust Code of Governance, which sets out a framework for what Monitor believes is good governance, encourages openness from the board
