What does a Governor do?

Governors have two main areas of responsibility:

Representing our Trust Members, patients, communities and partner organisations

Governors have an important role to play. Although they are not responsible for the day-to-day running of the Trust, they feed back information to the Board of Directors who are responsible for making the decisions about the services we provide.

Holding the Board of Directors to account

Governors’ statutory responsibilities include: 

• holding the Non-Executive Directors to account for the performance of the Trust Board
• appointing (and, if appropriate, remove) the Chair and Non-Executive Directors
• appointing (and, if appropriate, remove) the external auditors
• approving the appointment of the Chief Executive
• deciding the pay and terms of office for the Chair and Non-Executive Directors
• receiving the Annual Report and Accounts

 

 

We have three different types of Governor:

  • Public Governors who are elected by members within their constituencies of Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and the rest of England. These Governors make sure the views of patients, carers and the communities we serve are heard at the highest level in our decision-making process
  • Staff Governors are elected by the people we employ. These Governors ensure our staff have a say in how we run our services.
  • Partnership Governors are appointed by organisations which have an interest in the services we provide to patients with specific conditions and needs.

Governors are unpaid but will be reimbursed for any costs, such as travel, incurred while carrying out their duties.

You can find more information about the role of Governors on the Gov.uk website 

How do I become a Governor?

Members elect the governors who represent them on the Council of Governors. In order to be elected as a Public Governor, you need to be a member of our NHS Foundation Trust. More information is available on our Becoming a Member page. If you are a member of staff, you are automatically a member of the Trust.

Governor elections take place annually in constituencies where a current Governor has come to the end of their term of office. Find out more about the upcoming elections here

You do not need specific qualifications to become a Governor. All Governors are given a comprehensive induction and ongoing training.

Page last updated: 10 May 2022