Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust

[Tim Lund]

Has anyone else looked at this which came as a flyer in the latest 'Lewisham Life'?

June 2011

Dear Lewisham resident

We know how important the NHS is to local people. Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust provides NHS treatment in University Hospital Lewisham and in health clinics like the Waldron and Kaleidoscope Health Centres.

Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust and Lewisham Council are united in their belief that we need a strong local NHS in which local people have a real say and which is run to help improve the health and wellbeing of everyone in Lewisham.

That's why we are inviting you to become a 'member' of the Trust. Membership is free. As a member you will receive information on local NHS services, which will help you if you ever need treatment. If you want, you can also attend local events to find out about NHS developments, and give your views on how to improve health services. You can choose how involved you want to be - you do not have to give up any of your time if you don't want to.

As well as helping the Trust to improve services, all members can sign up for the national NHS discounts scheme. This will give you good deals on your holidays, insurance, and shopping.
Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust is recruiting members as part of its application to become an NHS Foundation Trust. Foundation Trusts are part of the NHS, but have more freedom from central government control to develop services needed by local people. They also give local people more of a say in how services run, as members elect governors who will work closely with the Trust's Board.

All NHS providers have to become Foundation Trusts, and if Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust were not to become one, it could be taken over by another organisation which may not be so focused on the needs of local people. This could happen if the Trust does not get enough members, so together we urge you to support your local NHS Trust by signing up as a member. Please fill in the form on the back of this letter and post it, free of charge, to: FREEPOST LHT FOUNDATION TRUST.

If you have any questions, you can call the Trust's membership helpline on 020 8314 0481, or email FTLewisham@nhs.net. Thank you in advance for your help.

Yours sincerely,

Elizabeth Butler, Chair, Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust
Sir Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham

From this, and what I can find on the web - e.g. this from Wikipedia - it doesn't seem such a bad idea, even if the main driver is to preserve the current status quo. I'd be more positive if I thought being part of what seems a formally constituted focus groups would actually lead to better healthcare than doctors, nurses and administrators are able to deliver anyway. Anyone know anything about this?