Outside body

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust is responsible for the provision of hospital services to Portsmouth, Gosport and the surrounding area of South East Hampshire.

Every NHS Foundation Trust is required to establish a Board of Governors.

Ours is called the Council of Governors, as we believe this reflects their role better.  The main role of the Council of Governors is threefold:

·         Advisory - to advise the Board of Directors on decisions about the strategic direction of the organisation.

·         Strategic - to inform the development of the future strategy for the organisation.

·         Guardianship - to act as guardian of the NHS Foundation Trust for the local community.

The Chair of the Council of Governors will also be the chair of the NHS Foundation Trust. The Council of Governors does not “run” the Trust, or get involved in operational issues.  This is the job of the Board. However, it has a key role in advising the Board on issues and ultimately in holding the Board to account for the decisions the Board makes.