What do you think about Kent Community Health NHS Trust becoming a Foundation?

Kent Community Health NHS Trust (KCHT) has launched its consultation to become a Foundation Trust and we would like to invite you to take part and have your say.

Foundation Trusts are still NHS organisations, providing NHS care, but they have far greater involvement from local people who can become members of the Trust and are controlled less by central government.

As part of our public consultation, which runs until Monday 22 October 2012, KCHT are also holding public meetings where you are invited to come along, find out more and have your say.

James Hill, 24, from Sittingbourne, is encouraging everyone to attend their local meeting:

"The death of both my parents from cancer within the last two years makes me sensitive about the future of the NHS in Kent. I realised how important Foundation Trust status for community services would be and decided to sign up to become a member.

"One thing I know is how lucky we are to have the range of free services available locally from the NHS – we shouldn't take it for granted. We all fund it, even young people pay National Insurance, so we should all have a say in its future. I'm looking forward to giving my views and that makes me feel my voice really counts."

The meetings are taking place all over Kent at the following times and locations:

    Wednesday, 5 September, 2 to 4pm, Fleetdown Community Centre, Swaledale Road, Dartford, DA2 6JZ

    Monday, 10 September, 2 to 4pm, Millmead Sure Start, Dane Valley Road, Margate, CT9 3RU

    Monday, 10 September, 7 to 9pm, Sundridge Village Hall, 203-209 Main Road, Sundridge, Sevenoaks, TN14 6AA

    Tuesday, 18 September, 3 to 5pm, Northgate Ward Community Centre, Military Road, Canterbury, CT1 1YX

    Friday, 21 September, 4 to 6pm, Maidstone Community Support Centre, Marsham Street, Maidstone, ME14 1HH

    Tuesday, 2 October, 7 to 9pm, Mercure Tunbridge Wells Hotel, 8 Tunbridge Road, Pembury, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 4QL

    Wednesday, 3 October, 2.30 to 4.30pm, Triangles Centre, Poulton Close, Dover, CT17 0HL

    Thursday, 4 October, 2 to 4pm, The River Centre, Medway Wharf Road, Tonbridge, TN9 1RE

    Monday, 8 October, 2 to 4pm, Hawkinge Community Centre, Heron Forstal Avenue, Hawkinge, CT18 7BP

    Wednesday, 10 October, 10am to 12noon, Norman House, Beaver Industrial Estate, Beaver Road, Ashford, TN23 7SH

    Wednesday, 10 October, 7 to 9pm, The Riverside Centre, Dickens Road, Gravesend, DA12 2JY

    Monday, 15 October, 10am to 12noon, UK Paper Leisure Club, Avenue of Remembrance, Sittingbourne, ME10 4DE

Kent Community Health NHS Trust provides most of the NHS care people receive in their own homes and in community settings.

The Chairman of Kent Community Health NHS Trust, David Griffiths, said:

"We want to become a Foundation Trust because we believe the people of Kent deserve to have high-quality community health services and the best way to provide this is through an NHS organisation, employing NHS staff, which specialises in this area of health care.

"We also want to have far greater involvement of local people in our organisation so that we can be sure we are meeting their needs and aspirations. Becoming a Foundation Trust will ensure this happens through our wide membership made up of our staff, patients and people from the local community. We plan to recruit 12,000 members both from our staff and members of the public to ensure true local involvement in our future.

"We want to encourage as many people as possible from all parts of Kent to take part in the consultation and come to our public meetings so we can use your feedback to inform our future plans for your local services."

You can complete the consultation online and sign up to be a member of the Trust here.

Members will have a choice about how involved they want to be, from just receiving regular information about the Trust to standing for election as a member of our Council of Governors.

As an added incentive our members can also apply for NHS discounts at high street stores, restaurants and more at www.nhsdiscounts.com

For more information and to obtain printed copies of our consultation and membership leaflets contact the Foundation Trust office at kcht.membership@nhs.net or by ringing 01622 211970.