n. (in the NHS) a self-governing body that provides or commissions any of a range of health-care services, including hospital, community health, and mental health services. NHS trusts have their own boards and budgets and the freedom to provide services of their own selection (within legal and contractual frameworks). See foundation trusts.
(foundation hospitals) self-governing NHS organizations established under the Health and Social Care Act 2003. Foundation trusts were intended to be accountable to their local communities and *NHS Improvement rather than to central government, while remaining subject to inspection by the *Care Quality Commission in the same way as other health-care providers. In recent years, however, many foundation trusts have required additional government funding due to financial deficits, with the result that central government has regained a large degree of financial and planning control. In practice, few differences now remain between foundation trusts and other NHS acute trusts.... foundation trusts
formerly, a *special health authority of the NHS established under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to oversee NHS trusts without *foundation trust status and to support their transition to such status. The Authority closed in 2016, when its functions were transferred to the newly established *NHS Improvement.... nhs trust development authority
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