The Christie Foundation Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust Annual Report & Accounts 2021-22

Directors’ Report

has acted appropriately, been balanced and complete and has contained a suitable range of appropriate and complementary skills and experience. The Board considers that all the Non-Executive Directors are independent and the Chairman was independent on appointment (as required by the NHS Foundation Trust Code of Governance provision B.1.1). Kathryn Riddle is the Senior Non-Executive Director and the designated link to the governors in case they have concerns they feel they cannot raise with the Chairman or any of the Executive Directors. She also leads the appraisal process for the Chairman. During 2021/22 there were six changes to the membership of the Board of Directors: • Bernie Delahoyde was appointed as Chief Operating Officer in August 2021. • Sally Parkinson was appointed as interim Executive Director of Finance and Business Development in August 2021. • Neil Bayman was appointed to the role of Executive Medical Director from November 2021. • Neil Large, Non-Executive Director and Audit Committee Chair, left the Board of Directors in October 2021. • Grenville Page was appointed as Non Executive Director and Audit Committee Chair from September 2021. • Alveena Malik was appointed as Non Executive Director from October 2021. In January 2022, following a long period of illness, our colleague and dear friend Joanne Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of Finance and Business Development sadly passed away.

The role of an NHS Foundation Trust Board of Directors is to be collectively responsible for the exercise of the powers and the performance of the NHS Foundation Trust. Its role is to provide active leadership of the Trust within a framework of prudent and effective controls which enables risk to be assessed and managed. Our Board is responsible for ensuring the Trust is compliant with its terms of authorisation, its constitution, mandatory guidance, relevant statutory requirements, contractual obligations and for governing The Christie NHS Foundation Trust effectively so that our patients, public and stakeholders have confidence that their care is in safe hands. The quality and safety of our services are of paramount importance to us all; the Board ensures that it applies all the relevant principles and standards of clinical governance. All members of the Board meet the ‘fit and proper’ person test as described in the provider licence. Our authorisation from our regulator and constitution govern the operation of the Trust. The schedule of reservation and delegation of powers sets out the types of decisions that must be taken by the Board of Directors and those which can be delegated to management. As required under Schedule A of the NHS Foundation Trust Code of Governance (A.1.1), the Trust’s constitution (Annex 7, 10.3) defines which decisions must be taken by the Council of Governors and how disagreements between the Board and the Council should be resolved. Annex 6 paragraph 2 describes how the Chairman or a Non-Executive Director may be terminated. Further detail can be obtained from our constitution which is accessible via our website. Our Board considers that it has complied with the requirements of the constitution relating to board composition. The Board is satisfied that it

94