LHCH assessed for advanced foundation trust status
The 10 Year Health Plan, published last July, set out the vision of reinvigorating and reinventing the foundation trust model for the modern integrated health system. This is being delivered through the Advanced Foundation Trust Programme, with the ambition that all NHS providers will achieve advanced foundation trust status by 2035.
We are delighted to share that Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group (UHL Group), will be one of the second wave of applicants to be assessed for advanced foundation trust status.
Inclusion in this early wave recognises that we have demonstrated consistent high performance by being placed in segment 1 of the NHS Oversight Framework for each quarter of 2025/26.
Securing advanced foundation trust status will require successful assessment as part of the Advanced Foundation Trust Programme and we will be working closely with NHS England as part of that process to demonstrate how we meet the assessment criteria.
Successfully passing the assessment will enable us to benefit from a more streamlined and strategic approach to annual planning, a capability-based approach to oversight and targeted financial flexibilities allowing us to direct surpluses from day-to-day spending towards future capital projects.
These freedoms will support our frontline NHS leaders to make decisions locally to improve services for patients in Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and the Isle of Man, and work with partners to improve the health of the communities we serve.
Importantly, the Programme also creates a future route for high-performing providers to be assessed for eligibility to hold an Integrated Health Organisation (IHO) contract. IHOs are intended to help local systems move beyond organisational boundaries by enabling a provider, working with commissioners and partners, to take greater responsibility for improving outcomes for a defined population.
This aligns closely with UHL Group’s direction of travel:
- working as one system
- strengthening neighbourhood and community-based care
- and supporting the national shifts from hospital to community, sickness to prevention, and analogue to digital.
Jonathan Mathews, Executive Managing Director of Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, said:
"For LHCH to be named in this second wave of NHS organisations, being assessed for Advanced Foundation Trust status, is testament to the quality of services provided over many years.
“This is thanks to those staff and teams who have consistently maintained such high standards of care for patients, families and our local communities, and for that we are exceptionally proud. It also reflects strong operational performance, leadership and governance, and LHCH’s ongoing commitment to working closely with all our colleagues across the Group, as well as healthcare partners in Cheshire and Merseyside.
"This new status would give LHCH greater freedom and flexibility to provide even better services and respond to the needs of our populations. It will help in the delivery of the 10 Year Health Plan, with its shift in care from hospitals to the community, embracing digital solutions to improve access, and remaining focused on early intervention to help people live healthier lives.
“Furthermore, greater freedom will enable us to make decisions more easily in those areas where we know patient care and staff experience can be further improved.
“We look forward to working closely with NHS England and system partners in the coming months, to demonstrate how LHCH meets the required criteria and how we can use any future freedoms responsibly to improve quality, access, productivity and population health.”
Further information about the Advanced Foundation Trust Programme is available on the NHS England website