My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Health (Patricia Hewitt) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

The chairman of Monitor (the statutory name of which is the Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts) announced last week that, in accordance with Section 6 of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003, Monitor had decided to authorise Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust as a NHS foundation trust from 1 October.

Monitor's announcement brings the total number of NHS foundation trusts to 49. A copy of Monitor's press notice has been placed in the Library.

The Government remain committed to offering all NHS acute and mental health trusts the opportunity to apply for foundation status as soon as practicable. Further waves of NHS foundation trusts are set to follow.