National Health Service Act 2006

Functions E+W

43 [F1 Provision of goods and services] E+W

[F2 (1) The principal purpose of an NHS foundation trust is the provision of goods and services for the purposes of the health service in England.]

[F2 (2) An NHS foundation trust may provide goods and services for any purposes related to—

(a) the provision of services provided to individuals for or in connection with the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of illness, and

(b) the promotion and protection of public health.]

[F2 (2A) An NHS foundation trust does not fulfil its principal purpose unless, in each financial year, its total income from the provision of goods and services for the purposes of the health service in England is greater than its total income from the provision of goods and services for any other purposes.]

(3) [F3 An] NHS foundation trust may also carry on activities other than those mentioned in [F4 subsection (2)] F5 ... for the purpose of making additional income available in order better to carry on its principal purpose.

[F6 (3A) Each annual report prepared by an NHS foundation trust must give information on the impact that income received by the trust otherwise than from the provision of goods and services for the purposes of the health service in England has had on the provision by the trust of goods and services for those purposes.

(3B) Each document prepared by an NHS foundation trust under paragraph 27 of Schedule 7 (forward plan) must include information about—

(a) the activities other than the provision of goods and services for the purposes of the health service in England that the trust proposes to carry on, and

(b) the income it expects to receive from doing so.

(3C) Where a document which is being prepared under paragraph 27 of Schedule 7 contains a proposal that an NHS foundation trust carry on an activity of a kind mentioned in subsection (3B)(a), the council of governors of the trust must—

(a) determine whether it is satisfied that the carrying on of the activity will not to any significant extent interfere with the fulfilment by the trust of its principal purpose or the performance of its other functions, and

(b) notify the directors of the trust of its determination.

(3D) An NHS foundation trust which proposes to increase by 5% or more the proportion of its total income in any financial year attributable to activities other than the provision of goods and services for the purposes of the health service in England may implement the proposal only if more than half of the members of the council of governors of the trust voting approve its implementation.]

F7 (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F7 (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F7 (6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F7 (7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 43 title substituted (1.4.2013) by Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 164(5), 306(4); S.I. 2013/671, art. 2(3)

F2 S. 43(1)-(2A) substituted for s. 43(1)(2) (1.10.2012) by Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 164(1), 306(4); S.I. 2012/1831, art. 2(2)

F3 Word in s. 43(3) substituted (1.10.2012) by Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 164(2)(a), 306(4); S.I. 2012/1831, art. 2(2)

F4 Words in s. 43(3) substituted (1.10.2012) by Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 164(2)(b), 306(4); S.I. 2012/1831, art. 2(2)

F5 Words in s. 43(3) omitted (1.10.2012) by virtue of Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 164(2)(c), 306(4); S.I. 2012/1831, art. 2(2)

F6 S. 43(3A)-(3D) inserted (1.10.2012) by Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 164(3), 306(4); S.I. 2012/1831, art. 2(2)

F7 S. 43(4)-(7) omitted (1.4.2013) by virtue of Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 164(4), 306(4); S.I. 2013/671, art. 2(3)

44 [F8 Power to charge for accommodation etc.] E+W

F9 (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F10 (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F11 (2A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F12 (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F12 (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F12 (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(6) According to the nature of its functions, an NHS foundation trust may, in the case of patients being provided with goods and services for the purposes of the health service, make accommodation or further services available for patients who give undertakings (or for whom undertakings are given) to pay any charges imposed by the NHS foundation trust in respect of the accommodation or services.

(7) An NHS foundation trust may exercise the power conferred by subsection (6) only to the extent that its exercise does not to any significant extent interfere with the performance by the NHS foundation trust of its functions.

Textual Amendments

F8 S. 44 title substituted (1.10.2012) by Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 165(2), 306(4); S.I. 2012/1831, art. 2(2)

F9 S. 44(1) omitted (1.10.2012) by virtue of Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 165(1)(a), 306(4); S.I. 2012/1831, art. 2(2)

F10 S. 44(2) omitted (1.10.2012) by virtue of Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 165(1)(b), 306(4); S.I. 2012/1831, art. 2(2)

F11 S. 44(2A) omitted (1.10.2012) by virtue of Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 165(1)(c), 306(4); S.I. 2012/1831, art. 2(2)

F12 S. 44(3)-(5) omitted (1.10.2012) by virtue of Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 165(1)(d), 306(4); S.I. 2012/1831, art. 2(2)

F13 45 Protection of property E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F13 S. 45 omitted (1.4.2013) by virtue of Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 163(7), 306(4); S.I. 2013/671, art. 2(3)

46 Financial powers E+W

(1) An NHS foundation trust may borrow money for the purposes of or in connection with its functions.

F14 (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F14 (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4) An NHS foundation trust may invest money (other than money held by it as trustee) for the purposes of or in connection with its functions.

(5) The investment may include investment by—

(a) forming, or participating in forming, bodies corporate,

(b) otherwise acquiring membership of bodies corporate.

(6) An NHS foundation trust may give financial assistance (whether by way of loan, guarantee or otherwise) to any person for the purposes of or in connection with its functions.

Textual Amendments

F14 S. 46(2)(3) omitted (1.4.2013) by virtue of Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 163(8), 306(4); S.I. 2013/671, art. 2(3)

47 General powers E+W

(1) An NHS foundation trust may do anything which appears to it to be necessary or expedient for the purpose of or in connection with its functions.

(2) In particular it may—

(a) acquire and dispose of property,

(b) enter into contracts,

(c) accept gifts of property (including property to be held on trust for the purposes of the NHS foundation trust or for any purposes relating to the health service),

(d) employ staff.

(3) Any power of the NHS foundation trust to pay remuneration and allowances to any person includes power to make arrangements for providing, or securing the provision of, pensions or gratuities (including those payable by way of compensation for loss of employment or loss or reduction of pay).

(4) “The purposes of the NHS foundation trust” means the general or any specific purposes of the trust (including the purposes of any specific hospital at or from which services are provided by the trust).

[F15 48 Information E+W

(1) The Secretary of State may require an NHS foundation trust to provide the Secretary of State with such information as the Secretary of State considers it necessary to have for the purposes of the functions of the Secretary of State in relation to the health service.

(2) The information must be provided in such form, and at such time or within such period, as the Secretary of State may require.]

Textual Amendments

F15 S. 48 substituted (1.11.2012) by Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 166, 306(4); S.I. 2012/2657, art. 2(2) (with art. 10)

F16 49 Entry and inspection of premises E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F16 S. 49 omitted (1.4.2013) by virtue of Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 159(8), 306(4); S.I. 2013/671, art. 2(3)

[F17 50 Fees E+W

An NHS foundation trust must pay to the regulator such fee as the regulator may determine in respect of its exercise of functions under—

(a) section 39;

(b) section 39A.]

Textual Amendments

F17 S. 50 substituted (1.4.2013) by Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 163(9), 306(4); S.I. 2013/671, art. 2(3)

51 Trust funds and trustees E+W

(1) The Secretary of State may by order provide for the appointment of trustees for an NHS foundation trust to hold property on trust—

(a) for the purposes of the NHS foundation trust, or

(b) for any purposes relating to the health service.

(2) The order may—

(a) make provision as to the persons by whom trustees must be appointed and generally as to the method of their appointment,

(b) make any appointment subject to such conditions as may be specified in the order (including conditions requiring the consent of the Secretary of State),

(c) make provision as to the number of trustees to be appointed, including provision under which that number may from time to time be determined by the Secretary of State after consultation with such persons as he considers appropriate,

(d) make provision with respect to the term of office of any trustee and his removal from office.

(3) Where trustees have been appointed for an NHS foundation trust under this section, the Secretary of State may by order provide for the transfer of any trust property from the NHS foundation trust to the trustees.

(4) Where an NHS trust for which trustees have been appointed under paragraph 10 of Schedule 4 is given an authorisation, the order appointing the trustees has effect as an order under this section.

(5) “The purposes of the NHS foundation trust” means the general or any specific purposes of the trust (including the purposes of any specific hospital at or from which services are provided by the trust).

[F18 51A Significant transactions E+W

(1) An NHS foundation trust may enter into a significant transaction only if more than half of the members of the council of governors of the trust voting approve entering into the transaction.

(2) “Significant transaction” means a transaction or arrangement of such description as may be specified in the trust's constitution.

(3) If an NHS foundation trust does not wish to specify any descriptions of transaction or arrangement for the purposes of subsection (2), the constitution of the trust must specify that it contains no such descriptions.]

Textual Amendments

F18 S. 51A inserted (1.4.2013) by Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 167, 306(4); S.I. 2013/160, art. 2(2) (with arts. 7-9)