My honourable friend the Minister of State, Department of Health (Ben Bradshaw) 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 this week that, in accordance with Section 35 of the National Health Service Act 2006, Monitor has decided to authorise the following NHS acute and mental health trusts as NHS foundation trusts from 1 May:

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust (formerly Essex Rivers NHS Trust);

Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Trust;

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust; and

Somerset Partnerships NHS and Social Care Trust

Monitor’s announcement brings the total number of NHS foundation trusts to 96. 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. Monitor is now authorising trusts on a monthly basis, and further waves of NHS foundation trusts are set to follow.