What is a governor?
Governors make a difference
What is a Governor?
Governors are generally people who have an interest in healthcare and care about improving their local health services for the good of the whole community.
Governors play an essential role of our Trust, providing a bridge between our membership, our community and our Board. There are statutory duties that our governors perform however, most importantly they listen and represent their communities. They help us to learn, develop and continue to grow as a Trust.
You must be 16 years old, or over, to stand as a Governor.
What does the role involve
Governors are an important part of NHFT
What does the role involve?
To be a successful Governor you would need to
- Commit to attending six formal meetings a year (plus the annual general meeting of the Council of Governors held in September) and you are encouraged to attend several other workshops/meetings where possible and your availability allows. (usually virtually)
- Prepare for meetings by reviewing reports and other materials
- Be able to engage with others to inform your contributions
- Support the Trust to seek feedback from members and public
- Pose questions to Non-Executive Directors on the Trust's work
- Work together, take responsibility, be authentic and embrace change
How does the role make a difference?
Represent your community
How does the role make a difference?
Being a Governor is an amazing opportunity to influence healthcare across Northamptonshire.
Our governors are an important and vital link between the Trust and the people we serve. Not only do governors represent the interests of their communities and the public, as a whole, by using their networks and local ties, they can help us engage more effectively on Trust priorities and decisions.
The other main statutory duty of the Council of Governors is to hold to account the Non-Executive Directors (who are appointed by the Trust to oversee decision making and strategy).
Governors are responsible for the appointment of the Non-Executive Directors (including the Chair). They undertake this duty in a variety of ways and Governors - some examples include observing the Board of Directors meetings, as well as contribute their thoughts to the Trust's Strategy and Plans.
We are rated as an outstanding organisation by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and this has meant better care for the people of Northamptonshire and beyond. For this to continue we need to maintain strong partnerships between Directors, staff, service users and their carers - and governors play a key part in this. Governor roles can be fitted around you, with many of our meetings currently taking place virtually.
Please watch this video from our Council of Governors which shows the work they do:
Or you can meet our Governors, who have taken the time to tell their stories:
Watch the 2025 Annual Public and Members Meeting (APMM) here:
How do I become a Governor?
Next steps
How do I become a Governor?
Thank you to everyone who took part in the 2026 Governor elections. The election period has now closed and all positions have been filled.
We have a diverse Council of Governors, including public, service user, carer, staff and partner governors. Governors are elected by Trust members and typically serve a term of up to three years, with the option to stand for re-election.
To stand as a Governor, you must be a member of the Trust and belong to one of our constituencies. This usually means that you either live within the geographical area, or you are a patient-or a carer of a patient-who has used Trust services within the last 10 years.
If you are not yet a member, you can join at any time. Visit our membership page to sign up-if you meet the criteria, registration is quick and simple.
Information about future Governor elections, including vacant seats and nomination dates, will be published on this page in due course.
In the meantime, if you are interested in becoming a Governor and would like to find out more about the role, we encourage you to keep an eye on upcoming engagement opportunities and information sessions.
Watch our previous 'Become a Governor' session, from last year, below.
The nomination period for the 2026 Governor elections has now closed.
Where seats were contested, members in the relevant constituencies were invited to vote and provided with information about the candidates and how to take part.
Voting has now concluded and the results have been confirmed.
Information about how to stand in future elections, including nomination deadlines, voting periods and guidance for candidates, will be published here when the next election cycle opens.
If you are interested in becoming a Governor, we encourage you to check this page regularly for updates.
Governor elections - Key documents
Useful links
Other useful Governor documents
Contact us to find out more about being a Governor:
Telephone: 03000 273 981
Email: foundationtrust@nhft.nhs.uk
Is becoming a governor the right role for you?
We have lots of options to get involved at NHFT. Select from the options to see which is the right one for you.
I'm interested in:
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Learning about trust services and receiving regular updates
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Giving my time, regularly working directly with patients
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Giving my time regularly to be involved in the formal decision-making of the Trust, as well as helping to represent the views of others. This could include in taking part in staff recruitment and bespoke project groups
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Using my lived experience to help develop services in the Trust. This could involve a regular or more infrequent time commitment, and may include taking part in staff recruitment and being part of bespoke project groups
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Providing feedback on a service