In addition, the Patient and Public Involvement Forum is invited to send a representative to the Board. The Patient and Public Involvement Forums are described in more detail in class 10.

The Board meets publicly once every month. Details of the meetings can be found by clicking here.

Members of the public are welcome to attend the public sessions of Board meetings and public participation is invited during the meeting. All approved minutes of Board meetings are publicly available via the website or by contacting the Publication Scheme Co-ordinator.

The operation of the Board, and supporting committees is detailed in the PCT's corporate governance Framework. Corporate Governance is the framework by which an organisation is managed in order to achieve its objectives and to meet the necessary standards if accountability and probity. The framework is based on work done by the Department of Health.

The PCT is able to provide access to, or copies of our corporate governance framework sections as shown below:

• Standing Orders
• Standing Financial Instructions
• Accountability Framework
• Scheme of Delegation
• Codes of Conduct

The Board delegates some of its functions and responsibilities to sub-committees, including the Professional Executive Committee and the Executive Directors Committee. The Scheme of Delegation describes how the Board discharges its responsibilities. These committees include:

• Audit Committee
• Non Clinical Risk and Governance Committee
• Clinical Governance Committee
• Remuneration Committee
• Charitable Funds Committee
• Health and Safety Committee

All of these committees are either chaired by a non-executive director, (lay person) or an executive director, who report to the Board on a regular basis.

The PCT also has a Professional Executive Committee, which meets every month. The PEC gives clinical direction to the PCT and deals with service developments. Its membership includes health care professionals, executive directors and a Social Services representative. All of these members have voting rights.

Membership of the Professional Executive Committee

Chair - Vacancy

Chief Executive - Caroline Fowles

Director of Public Health - Shona Arora

Director of Finance - Howard Oddy

Social Services Representative - Jill Kearsley

GP members - Dr Shirley Elliott, Dr Graham Wilson, Dr Nick Young

Nurse Members - Theresa Cuthbert, Judy Richards

Other members - Chris Boden, Dr Sue Kinder, Theresa Cuthbert

Directors and the PEC chair meet on a weekly basis to resolve day-to-day and operational and management issues for the delivery of the PCT's strategic direction and governance responsibilities:

Directors

Chief Executive (Chair) - Caroline Fowles

Director of Public Health - Shona Arora

Director of Finance - Howard Oddy

Director of Service Provision - Paul Edwards

Director of Service Development - Jackie Huck

Associatet Director of Human Resources - Ruth Thomas

PEC Chair - Vacancy

Details of membership of other committees can be obtained from the Publication Scheme Manager.