The independent regulator, Monitor, has authorised Great Ormond Street Hospital to become an NHS Foundation Trust.
The Chief Executive of Great Ormond Street Hospital, Dr Jane Collins, said to staff today:
"I’m absolutely delighted to say that the independent regulator Monitor has authorised us to become an NHS Foundation Trust. We heard yesterday evening and we become a Foundation Trust today. Our thanks to all those who have worked so hard on the application directly and also to all of you, whose work for our patients and their families is the reason we are here.
"We became a Foundation Trust to remain an independent NHS hospital focused on the needs of children. It will help in our ambition to strive to be in the top five children’s hospitals in the world and to keep quality and safety at the centre of all we do. We have already elected the Members Council representing staff, patients, families and other interested parties, and it will be able to begin its work shortly.
"Yesterday the charity also announced our appeal to build a new Centre for Children’s Rare Disease Research on Guilford Street next to the ICH. The hospital sees many more children with rare diseases than most. Taken together rare diseases are a significant health issue and this new Centre will serve as a facility to support the hospital and UCL in translating new research techniques into helping more children.
"Both of these announcements represent an important step forward for the hospital in our 160th anniversary as does the opening of the Morgan Stanley Clinical Building, in the Mittal Children's Medical Centre. Although there are challenges, we plan to grow our work so we can help more children, both directly, and through our training and research.
Thank you."
