Over the past few years a real market has developed in health,” explains Sally Bryden, the head of strategic development at Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, a mental health trust.
And foundation trusts, such as Oxleas, like all top-performing commercial companies, want to make sure that they capitalise on the opportunities presented by that market.
“Our financial freedom brings risks as well as benefits. I wanted to look outside to see what companies do, what’s the gold standard? How do we prepare for the new competitive environment?” Ms Bryden says.
To help the trust thrive in this new era of patients’ rights — Gordon Brown signed the NHS Constitution, giving patients the legal right to choose which hospital they received treatment in at the start of