Published on: 10th July 2026
NHS England has announced that RNOH has been selected as part of the second wave of NHS trusts to be assessed for advanced foundation trust status - a new marker of excellence for high-performing providers.
Paul Fish, RNOH Chief Executive, said: "This is fantastic news and an important milestone for the Trust. Our inclusion in this early wave recognises the strong and consistent performance achieved across RNOH, including remaining in segment 1 of the NHS Oversight Framework throughout 2025/26.
The Advanced Foundation Trust (AFT) Programme forms part of the NHS's long-term ambition to reinvigorate and modernise the foundation trust model for today's integrated healthcare system, with the aim that all NHS providers will achieve advanced foundation trust status by 2035.
While the assessment process is still ahead of us and advanced foundation trust status has not yet been secured, today's announcement is a significant endorsement of the expertise, commitment and teamwork demonstrated by colleagues across the organisation. It reflects the exceptional care we provide to patients, our focus on continuous improvement and our reputation as a high-performing specialist trust.
Subject to a successful assessment, advanced foundation trust status would give us greater flexibility in how we plan, manage and invest in our services. It would allow us to take a more strategic long-term approach, with more decisions made locally and greater opportunities to reinvest any surpluses into future developments and improvements for patients and colleagues.
Thank you to everyone whose hard work has contributed to this achievement. This announcement recognises the collective efforts of colleagues across RNOH and the outstanding care, treatment and support they provide every day. While there is more work to do, this is a moment to celebrate how far we have come and what we can achieve together."