A HOSPITAL which serves patients from a wide area of north Suffolk is on track to gain NHS Foundation Trust status later this year.Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt yesterday added her support for the James Paget Hospital in Gorleston to achieve the much-coveted self-governing standard.

A HOSPITAL which serves patients from a wide area of north Suffolk is on track to gain NHS Foundation Trust status later this year.

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt yesterday added her support for the James Paget Hospital in Gorleston to achieve the much-coveted self-governing standard.

In a statement she said: “I am pleased to be able to give my support to the James Paget Healthcare NHS Trust to go forward to Monitor, the independent regulator, to be considered for authorisation as an NHS foundation trust.”

If the James Paget is approved by Monitor it could become a foundation trust by as early as April 1 this year.

If it is successful the hospital will become the first in Suffolk or Norfolk to achieve such status. It is already the only top rated three-star hospital in the Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire region.

As an NHS foundation trust hospital the James Paget would have a governors council which would have a big influence over the future of the hospital and the way in which services are delivered.

The council will be made up of staff representatives and members of the public.

Senior managers at the hospital were delighted to receive news of the Health Secretary's statement.

David Hill, chief executive of the James Paget Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “Our trust board will use the FT status to ensure that we deliver the high quality services that our population requires and the James Paget remains the hospital of choice for the people of Great Yarmouth and Waveney.

“Our membership and our public governors will be a strong voice in helping us to achieve this.”

Mr Hill said he was pleased the governors council will have staff representatives as the achievements of achieving foundation status was down to every member of staff at the hospital.

Bob Blizzard, MP for Waveney, added: “Reaching this stage is the hallmark of a top quality hospital that has consistently met all performance targets.”

Officials at Monitor will now assess whether the James Paget meets the exacting standards to become a NHS foundation trust and if it does will continue to monitor performance to ensure the standard is maintained.

The James Paget has consistently broke even financially and is on course to maintain this performance during the current year.