GREAT WESTERN HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (A PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION) CONSTITUTION 1 Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Constitution Table of Contents Preamble ....................................................................................................................................... 4 1 Name ....................................................................................................................................... 4 2 Principal Purpose ................................................................................................................... 4 3 Powers .................................................................................................................................... 4 4 Other purposes ...................................................................................................................... 5 5 Membership and constituencies ........................................................................................... 5 6 Application for membership .................................................................................................. 5 7 Public Constituency ............................................................................................................... 5 8 Staff Constituency ................................................................................................................. 6 9 Restriction on Membership ................................................................................................... 7 9A Annual Members' Meeting 7 10 Council of Governors – composition .................................................................................... 7 11 Council of Governors - election of Governors ..................................................................... 7 12 Council of Governors - tenure ............................................................................................... 8 13 Council of Governors - disqualification and removal .......................................................... 8 13A Council of Governors - duties of Governors ....................................................................... 9 14 Council of Governors - meetings of Governors ................................................................. 10 15 Council of Governors – standing orders ............................................................................ 10 15ACouncil of Governors - referral to the Panel 10 16 Council of Governors - conflicts of interest of Governors ................................................ 10 17 Council of Governors – travel and other expenses ........................................................... 11 18 Council of Governors – further provisions ........................................................................ 11 19 Board of Directors – composition ....................................................................................... 11 19ABoard of Directors - general duty 12 20 Board of Directors – qualification for appointment as a Non-Executive Director ........... 12 21 Board of Directors – appointment and removal of Chair and other Non-Executive Directors ............................................................................................................................... 12 22 Board of Directors – appointment of Deputy Chair ........................................................... 12 23 Board of Directors - appointment and removal of the Chief Executive and other Executive Directors .................................................................................................................... 12 24 Board of Directors – disqualification .................................................................................. 13 24ABoard of Directors - meetings 14 2 Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust FT Constitution (updated March 2021 – Version 17) 25 Board of Directors – standing orders ................................................................................. 14 26 Board of Directors - conflicts of interest of Directors ....................................................... 14 27 Board of Directors – remuneration and terms of office ..................................................... 17 28 Registers .............................................................................................................................. 17 29 Admission to and removal from the registers.................................................................... 17 30 Registers – inspection and copies...................................................................................... 18 31 Documents available for public inspection ........................................................................ 19 32 Auditor .................................................................................................................................. 20 33 Audit Committee .................................................................................................................. 20 34 Accounts and records ......................................................................................................... 20 35 Annual Report, Forward Plans and non NHS work ............................................................ 21 36 Meeting of Council of Governors to consider Annual Accounts and reports .................. 22 37 Instruments .......................................................................................................................... 23 37AMergers etc. and significant transactions 23 38 Interpretation and definitions .............................................................................................. 24 ANNEX 1 – THE PUBLIC CONSTITUENCY ................................................................................ 30 ANNEX 2 – THE STAFF CONSTITUENCY .................................................................................. 34 ANNEX 3 – COMPOSITION OF COUNCIL OF GOVERNORS .................................................... 35 ANNEX 4 –THE MODEL RULES FOR ELECTIONS .................................................................... 37 ANNEX 5 – ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS – COUNCIL OF GOVERNORS .................................... 83 Appendix 1: Eligibility to be on the Council of Governors....................................................... 83 Appendix 2: Council of Governors: objectives ......................................................................... 85 Appendix 3: Roles and Responsibilities of Governors ............................................................ 86 Appendix 4: Council of Governors: further provisions ............................................................ 88 ANNEX 6 – STANDING ORDERS FOR THE PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE OF THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNORS .................................................................................................................. 90 ANNEX 7 – STANDING ORDERS FOR THE PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS .................................................................................................................. 107 ANNEX 8 - FURTHER PROVISIONS ......................................................................................... 130 Appendix 1: NHS Core Principles ............................................................................................ 130 Appendix 2: Membership ......................................................................................................... 132 Appendix 3: Board of Directors - further provisions .............................................................. 134 Appendix 4: Further Provisions - general ............................................................................... 137 Appendix 5: The Role and Responsibilities of the Secretary ................................................ 138 3 Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust FT Constitution (updated March 2021 – Version 17) PREAMBLE An NHS Foundation Trust is a Public Benefit Corporation which is authorised under the National Health Service Act 2006 to provide goods and services for the purposes of the health service in England. A Public Benefit Corporation is a body corporate which is constituted in accordance with Schedule 7 of the National Health Service Act 2006. The Constitution provides, inter alia, for the Trust to have Members, Governors and Directors and determines who may be eligible for membership and how Governors and Directors are elected or appointed and defines their respective roles and powers. 1 Name 1.1 The name of the Trust is to be “Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust”. 2 Principal Purpose 2.1 The Principal Purpose of the Trust is the provision of goods and services for the purposes of the health service in England. 2.2 The Trust does not fulfil its Principal Purpose unless, in each Financial Year, its total income from the provision of goods and services for the purposes of the health service in England is greater than its total income from the provision of goods and services for any other purposes. 2.3 The Trust may provide goods and services for any purposes related to: 2.3.1 the provision of services provided to individuals for or in connection with the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of illness; and 2.3.2 the promotion and protection of public health. 2.4 The Trust may also carry on activities other than those mentioned in paragraph 2.3 above for the purpose of making additional income available in order to better carry on its Principal Purpose. 3 Powers 3.1 The Trust is to have all the