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Council of Governors Elections

Our Public and Staff Governors are elected by the membership and they are responsible for representing the interests of Foundation Trust members, service users, carers, and staff.

Our Governors are very important to our Trust and they play a fundamental role in improving services, advising the Trust about the needs of service users and the community, holding our non-executive directors to account, and informing our strategies and future plans.

Elections are usually held each year and at the start of the election process, a formal notice is published, inviting eligible members to stand for election to the Governor seat(s) that are open.  The formal notice includes the contact details of the external company that facilitates our election process (to request a Nomination Form).  Ballot papers are then sent to members who in turn vote for the candidate(s) that they wish to be elected to our Council of Governors.

The Trust is keen to represent all areas of the community on the Council of Governors and welcomes interest from anyone within the various constituencies. We provide a comprehensive induction programme and ongoing support for our Council of Governors.

You can see details of the 2022 elections and our previous elections.

We need people who are passionate about the NHS, care about their local services, have the enthusiasm and the willingness to represent the views of the people in their community or staff group, and who have the time to commit to the role.

Whilst there are no specific qualifications you will need to be able to contribute to strategy, have some understanding of how effective organisations work and be able to work well as part of a wider team. You will also be expected to discharge your responsibilities in a way that reflects ELFT’s values which are, ‘We care, We respect, We are inclusive.’

We provide a comprehensive induction programme and ongoing support for our Council of Governors. For more information about becoming a Governor.

If you think you might be interested in standing for election, please visit our Governor Election page or contact the Membership Office on Freephone: 0800 032 7297 or email: elft.membership@nhs.net