Our Governors

What do governors do?

Our governors play an important role in understanding and championing the needs of patients, families, carers and staff, helping us to make sure our services meet the needs of people in the communities we serve. 

Find out more about our Council of Governors and what they do on our Council of Governors pages.

Why become a governor?

The many benefits of becoming a governor include:

• An opportunity to influence the development of an important public service provider.
• The chance to meet fellow members and represent their interests and opinions.
• Gain an insight into the goals, challenges and achievements of a large NHS Trust.
• Develop new skills and improve your CV.
• Meet new people and learn more about hospital life.

Who can become a governor?

To apply to be a governor, you must be aged 16 or above and a member of our Foundation Trust (if you aren’t a member already, it’s free and easy to sign up). Formal qualifications and prior experience are not needed but, as a governor, you will need a strong commitment to working within your local community and with our Trust to help us improve our healthcare services.

Find out more what we expect from our governors by reading our  Governor Role Profile .  

How to apply to become a governor

If you are passionate about supporting healthcare in your community, you can nominate yourself as a public governor by signing up as a member using our online membership form.

Elections to the Council of Governors take place every three years and members will automatically be sent information on how to apply to be a governor and vote in elections.

Terms of office 

The Trust constitution states that a governor is elected for a period of three years, and may be re-elected for three consecutive terms (nine consecutive years).

To be eligible to stand for election and/or vote, you must be a member of the Trust before the close of nominations. All members will receive information about how to stand and/or vote for election by email or in the post.

Find out more

Watch our Teams event to find out more about becoming a governor and our governor elections.