Council of Governors

The role of the Council of Governors

Because we are a Foundation Trust, we have a Council of Governors. Governors play a key role at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust in helping to guide the development of services, holding the non-executive directors to account, representing the views of members, and undertaking a range of statutory duties such as the appointment of the chair and non-executive directors. Most governors are elected from the Foundation Trust membership. These elected governors reflect the interests of the community and represent their members when key decisions are taken at the Trust.

Governor Elections 2025

Our next elections are due to be held from 3rd February 2025 and you can find out more about standing for election on our dedicated Governor Elections page. If you are interested in standing for a position on our Council of Governors, please contact the Corporate Governance Team by emailing foundationtrust@uhbw.nh.uk or calling 0117 342 3764.

Membership Strategy 2024-2027

The Council of Governors are very pleased to announce their new, refreshed Membership Strategy for 2024-2027! The new Membership Strategy outlines the framework for the activity of the membership team from 2024-2027 and seeks to address ways to create a sustained and engaged membership; increase the numbers of members; and show members that their contributions towards the development of the Trust are valued. Click on the picture below to read the full strategy (opens in a new window).

Meet the Governors

We have 29 Governors in total, which includes 17 Public Governors, six Appointed Governors from local stakeholders and six Staff Governors. A poster of our Governors is available here. Foundation Trust members can ask governors to raise issues at the Trust on their behalf. If you would like to contact the Governors or have any questions about Foundation Trust membership, please email the Membership Office at foundationtrust@uhbw.nhs.uk, call 0117 342 3764, or write to Corporate Governance, Trust HQ, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, Marlborough Street, Bristol BS1 3NU. A register of interests, which includes our governors, is on our Reports and Publications page.

Council of Governors meetings

We will no longer be live-streaming our Council of Governors meetings on their allotted dates below. Members of the public who do not wish to observe the meeting in person can access a recording of it on the YouTube links which will be posted to this page approximately 72 hours after the meeting is held. All papers will continue to be published on this page prior to the meeting date and members of the public are invited to submit questions to the Council of Governors in line with the Trust’s normal process for Board meetings. Please be advised recordings will only be available for two weeks after the meeting.

Our Council of Governors meetings are open to all Foundation Trust members, members of staff, and members of the public and will be held on the Ground Floor of St James' Court, Canon Street, Bristol, BS1 3LH unless otherwise advertised below.

Please note you are able to ask questions of the Council of Governors by emailing them at least five working days before the meeting to foundationtrust@uhbw.nhs.uk and we will endeavour to answer your question during the meeting or provide a written response after the meeting. Our papers carry a general and press embargo until after the Council of Governors meeting has been held and no discussion concerning them will be entered into until that time.

2025/2026 meeting dates:

• Wednesday 21st May 2025, 14.00-16.30.
• Tuesday 22nd July 2025, 10.00-12.30.
• Tuesday 16th September 2025, 12.30-15.30.
• Tuesday 18th November 2025, 10.00-12.30.
• Thursday 22nd January 2026, 13.00-15.30.

2024/2025 meeting dates:

• Thursday 23 May 2024, 14.00-16.30. Papers for this meeting are available here.
• Tuesday 16 July 2024, 10.00-12.00. Papers for this meeting are available here.
• Tuesday 10 September 2024, 17:15-19:15 (Annual Members Meeting). Papers for this meeting are available here.
• Thursday 21 November 2024, 10.00-12.30. Papers for this meeting are available here. 
• Wednesday 29 January 2025, 13.00-15.30 - please note this meeting has been cancelled.

Previous Council Of Governors papers are available here.

Council of Governors Updates to Foundation Trust Members

Every month, the Council of Governors write an update to Foundation Trust members on the things they have been involved in and send them to members as part of the monthly e-newsletter. If you are interested in hearing about what the Trust and the Governors have been up to, become a member and receive the full e-newsletter.

Governor Elections 2023

Thank you to everyone who has been involved in the elections for 2023. 

A report of voting is available at this link: here. The South Gloucestershire election was uncontested and the notice is available at this link: here. 

A Statement of Nominated Candidates is available at this link: here. Our Notice of Poll is available at this link: here. Our Notice of Election is available at this link: here. 

For more information about the governor role or the governor elections, please contact the Corporate Governance Team on foundationtrust@uhbw.nhs.uk or call 0117 34 23764.