hospital trust
noun /ˈhɒspɪtl trʌst/
/ˈhɑːspɪtl trʌst/
- an organization that runs a public hospital for the National Health Service in Britain. The first hospital trusts were created in 1990, when the British government decided to make hospitals responsible for their own management and financial affairs. The idea was that they should be run on a more commercial basis, with less waste of money and resources. In 2004 the government introduced a new type of organization in England called the foundation trust or foundation hospital. Hospitals that achieve a high level of service can apply for foundation status, which gives them the right to raise their own finances, for example, by selling assets or borrowing money. The first twenty foundation trusts were created in April and July 2004. Many people are opposed to foundation hospitals because they believe they will create a situation where some hospitals have a lot of money and others not enough.