Put yourself forward for governor elections

Being a Governor is a fantastic way to be involved with the running of the Trust and it doesn’t take up as much time as you might think. At a minimum, 10 hours of your time per a year is required to attend online meetings. But, of course, you can be involved much more than this!

Hospital governors visit the hospital

Standing as a governor

If you are thinking of applying to become a governor there are a few things you need to do before you can apply.

Firstly, you need to be a Barnsley Hospital member. If you are not already a member you can sign up here for free! You will also need to get the support of two other members  – they could be family, friends, colleagues, or anyone else that personally knows you.

After this, you will need to fill in an application form and submit it. 

We announce when applications open and when they close. 

Who makes up the Council of Governors?

The majority of our Council of Governors represent patients and the public and are elected by members of the Trust. The council also has governors to represent staff, and governors nominated from local partner organisations which represent the wider community. 

What is the role of the Council of Governors?

The main role of the governors of Barnsley NHS Foundation Trust is to hold the Trust’s non-executive directors to account for the performance of the board and to represent the interests of members and the Barnsley public.

  • Having a say in the hospital’s future plans
  • Improving access and patient communications
  • Providing consultation and involvement
  • Focusing on environmental issues and hospital resources
  • Encouraging more people to become Trust members
  • Appointing the Trust’s external auditors
  • Appointing non-executive directors

What sort of time commitment do I need to give as a governor?

Being a Governor doesn’t take up as much time as you might think. The minimum commitment to being a Governor at Barnsley Hospital is around 10 hours per year – this is to attend our regular Council of Governor’s meetings. These meetings are done online and full IT equipment and advice is provided.

How do we choose our governors? 

The Council of Governors is made up of people who have joined as members of Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and have been elected to stand on the council of governors by their fellow members. There are 17 patient and public governor seats on the council.

There are five staff governors’ seats which are elected by staff and cover all staff groups at the hospital.

There are seven governors’ seats which are nominated from partner organisations such as Barnsley Council, Barnsley College, Barnsley CCG and Barnsley CVS (Community and Voluntary Services).

Want to know more?

Contact the Governors’ office on 01226 431818 or email: barnsleynhsft.governors@nhs.net.

Our current Council of Governors

Have a look at who our current Council of Governors are, and their range of backgrounds, life experiences and areas of expertise, that they bring to the Trust.

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  • Page last reviewed: 24 April 2024
  • Next review due: 13 January 2025