Nominations open for Western Sussex’s first governor elections

More than 1,000 people expressed an interest in becoming a governor when signing up for membership, and more than 450 have attended a series of information sessions run by the trust, it said.

A total of 16 places on the trust’s first Council of Governors will be contested in the public election. A further six will be elected by members of staff and the remaining nine will be appointed by Western Sussex Hospitals’ partner organisations.

The trust has been given the go-ahead to hold its election after reaching the final phase of its application to achieve foundation trust status, which was confirmed by health secretary Andrew Lansley earlier this month.

All existing members are being written to by the trust, to invite them to get involved in the election. Those members who wish to stand to be a governor simply need to contact the Electoral Reform Services (ERS) organisation to request a nomination form.

The deadline for people to put themselves forward is 5pm on 1 August, 2012.