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Our council of governors represent the interests of the communities we serve, and is made up of patients, public, staff and local public sector organisations.
Its role is to ensure the voice of our members, the public, patients and staff is used to inform our trust’s decisions and improve medical care and patient experience.
The council also acts as a source of ideas about how we can best provide healthcare services to meet the needs of members and the wider local community, and ensures we follow NHS values, principles and the terms of our provider licence.
Governors are not paid but reasonable expenses, which do not include loss of earnings, will be reimbursed for travel to meetings or other locations as part of their governor responsibilities.
Read our governors' travelling expenses document to find out more
Latest agenda and papers
Next council of governors meeting
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Formal Council of Governor's meeting
Event date and time: 27 January 2025, 6:00pm to 7:30pm
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Governor meetings
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Formal Council of Governors' meeting
Event date and time: 28 April 2025, 6:00pm to 7:30pm
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Governor meetings
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Our council of governors:
- Work with our board to produce plans for the future development of our trust.
- Represent our members’ views.
- Receive copies of our annual accounts, auditor’s reports and annual reports at a public meeting.
- Agree the payment levels of non-executive directors (including the chairman).
- Appoint/remove the chairman, non-executive directors and our external auditor.
- Approve the appointment of the chief executive.
- Ensure our board acts in accordance with our trust’s identified aims and fulfils the requirements of NHS England.
- Act in an advisory capacity to contribute to the strategic direction of our trust.
- Adhere to our code of conduct.
- Attend meetings of the council of governors (four a year) as well as extraordinary council meetings and governor induction sessions.
- Attend the annual general meeting and any other meetings identified by the council.
Governors also have the opportunity to sit as observers on board committees, chair Medicine for Members' events and hold 'governors' surgeries' to engage with our members.
If you would like to contact the governors, please email our lead governor, Sneha Bedi, at rf-tr.
The council of governors is not responsible for the day-to-day running of our trust, which is the responsibility of our board.
Governor elections results 2024
As Returning Officer for the above election, which closed at 5.00pm on Friday 10 May 2024, I give notice that the results are as follows:
Patient constituency
| Number of electronic and postal ballots issued | 5,730 |
| Total number of votes cast | 1,269 |
| Turnout | 22.15% |
The election was conducted using the single transferable vote system and I declare that the following candidates are elected as members of the council of governors.
| Dov Gerber | Elected (stage 12) |
| Tatiana Votinova | Elected (stage 12) |
Public (Camden, Barnet, Enfield and Hertfordshire) constituency
| Number of electronic and postal ballots issues | 11,719 |
| Total number of votes cast | 1,891 |
| Turnout | 16.14% |
The election was conducted using the single transferable vote system and I declare that the following candidate is elected as a member of the council of governors.
| Caroline Kniaz | Elected (stage 16) |
Public (Rest of England) constituency
| Number of electronic and postal ballots issued | 4,397 |
| Total number of votes cast | 1,891 |
| Turnout | 13.03% |
The election was conducted using the single transferable vote system and I declare that the following candidate is elected as a member of the council of governors.
| Viven Finch | Elected (stage 4) |
Staff constituency
| Number of electronic and postal ballots issued | 15,774 |
| Total number of votes cast | 1,648 |
| Turnout | 10.45% |
The election was conducted using the single transferable vote system and I declare that the following candidate is elected as a member of the council of governors.
| Alex Craggs | Elected (stage 6) |
The election process was conducted in accordance with the constitution and election rules of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. Mi-Voice is satisfied that all eligible members of the trust were sent voting information and that if they voted, their vote was recorded accurately.
Tony Slater, Returning Officer, 13 May 2024.
Our governors
Governors’ names and the constituency that elected them are held on a public register along with details of any potential conflict of interest — a political affiliation, for example.
- Details of all interests declared by our governors can be found in the council of governors' meeting papers
