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Annex 2: Statement of directors’ responsibilities for the quality report

The Directors are required under the Health Act 2009 and the National Health Service (Quality Accounts) Regulations to prepare Quality Accounts for each financial year.

NHS England has issued guidance to NHS foundation Trust Boards on the form and content of annual quality accounts (which incorporate the above legal requirements) and on the arrangements that NHS foundation Trust Boards should put in place to support the data quality for the preparation of the quality account.

In preparing the Quality Account, directors are required to take steps to satisfy themselves that:

  • the content of the Quality Account meets the requirements set out in NHS England » Quality accounts FAQs
  • the content of the Quality Account is not inconsistent with internal and external sources of information including:
    • Board minutes and papers for the period April 2022 to March 2023
    • papers relating to quality reported to the Board over the period April 2022 to March 2023
    • feedback from commissioners dated 14th April 2023
    • feedback from governors dated 12th May 2023
    • feedback from local Healthwatch organisations dated April 2023
    • feedback from Health Scrutiny Committee dated April 2023
    • the Trust’s complaints report published under regulation 18 of the Local Authority Social Services and NHS Complaints Regulations 2009, dated 14th April 2023
    • the national Community mental health patient survey 27th October 2022
    • the national NHS staff survey 9th March 2023
    • the Head of Internal Audit’s annual opinion of the Trust’s control environment dated 19th June 2023
    • CQC inspection report dated 22nd June 2020
  • the Quality Account presents a balanced picture of the NHS Foundation Trust’s performance over the period covered
  • the performance information reported in the Quality Account is reliable and accurate
  • there are proper internal controls over the collection and reporting of the measures of performance included in the Quality Account and these controls are subject to review to confirm that they are working effectively in practice
  • the data underpinning the measures of performance reported in the Quality Account is robust and reliable, conforms to specified data quality standards and prescribed definitions, is subject to appropriate scrutiny and review.

The directors confirm to the best of their knowledge and belief they have complied with the above requirements in preparing the Quality Account.

By order of the Board

Kevin Lockyer, Chair     Sarah Connery, Chief Executive

29 June 2023