earned autonomy

earned autonomy

A status which an acute hospital trust strives to achieve in the UK, based on its performance under the star rating system (pre-2005/6) or annual health checks (post-2006) against national standards (targets): Capacity targets, Clinical targets, Key targets, Patient focus targets, and the trust’s service to its patients—e.g., efficiency, reducing treatment waiting times. The best performing trusts are accorded Foundation status, which entails:
• Less monitoring from central government,
• Fewer inspections by the Commission for Health Improvement,
• Retention of more of the proceeds of local land sales for reinvestment in local services,
• Extra resources for taking over and sorting persistently failing Trusts,
• The ability to establish private companies and help shape national policy.