Freedom of information: Who we are and what we do

Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust (SUHT) provides local hospital services to some 500,000 people living in Southampton and south Hampshire and specialist services such as neurosciences, cardiac services and children's intensive care to more than three million people in central southern England and the Channel Islands. Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust is also a major centre for teaching and research in association with the University of Southampton| and partners including the Medical Research Council| and Wellcome Trust|.

How we fit into the NHS structure

Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust is an acute trust. The Trust is commissioned by the local Primary Care Trusts to provide hospital services for people living in the PCT areas. The main PCTs commissioning services at SUHT are NHS Southampton City| and NHS Hampshire|. 

Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs) are regional bodies that implement Department of Health| policies and supervise the overall finances of local NHS organisations. SUHT is supervised by the South Central Strategic Health Authority (SHA)|.

SUHT is applying for Foundation Trust status, which enables greater local accountability and greater freedom from the SHA.

Our work as a Trust is based upon the strategic direction established by the Department of Health. The Department of Health website| has links to the key national documents that guide our Trust and the wider NHS.

Organisational structure

SUHT is managed by the Trust Board|, which consists of executive directors and non-executive directors, led by the chairman.

See how the Trust is structured by looking at our Trust organisational chart|.

Organisations with which the Trust works in partnership

Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust works in collaboration with a multitude of other organisations across its range of services.

As the Trust is a major centre for teaching and research close working relationships have been established with the University of Southampton, Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust and Cancer Research UK.

The Trust also works closely with:

• NHS South Central, our Strategic Health Authority;
• Hampshire Partnership NHS Trust, the local mental health trust;
• South Central Ambulance Service;
• other local acute Trusts such as Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust website, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust and Basingstoke and North Hampshire NHS Foundation Trust;
• local Primary Care Trusts including NHS Southampton City, Isle of Wight NHS Primary Care Trust and NHS Hampshire;
• local councils, particularly Southampton City Council and Hampshire County Council.

Senior staff and management board members

Short biographies and roles and responsibilities of the executive and non-executive directors of the Trust can be found on the Managing the Trust| page.

Staff attitude survey

The results from our 2010 staff survey| were published in 2011. You can also see how we compare to the national average|.

Contact details

Find out how you can get in touch with the Trust|.