Non-Executive Directors are members of the board of directors who do not form part of the executive management team, they are not employees of the organisation. Their role is to;

• Challenge and contribute to the strategy of the Trust
• Scrutinise the performance management of the Trust (including A&E targets, 18 Week RTT standards and Cancer targets
• Satisfy themselves that financial information is accurate
• Appoint the Executive Directors

• Resources
• Appointments
• Standards of conduct

The Executive Directors of a Hospital are usually;

• Chief Executive
• Head of Finance
• Head of Human Resources
• Clinical Director
• Head of Nursing
• Head of Planning and Performance
• Head of Operations (not surgical operations)

Primary care is the health care administered by a health care provider. This provider is the first point of contact for patients and they can then arrange other specialists that the patient may need during the pathway of their care. The main provider is a General Practitioner (GP) who can then refer the patient on to secondary care. Secondary care is defined as a service provided by medical specialties who generally do not have first contact with patients. Secondary care is usually delivered in Hospitals or clinics and patients have usually been referred to secondary care by their primary care provider, usually their GP. Secondary care also includes Accident and Emergency, Maternity, Intensive Care and Imaging.

There are two types of visits to a Hospital for a patient; Outpatients - Some patients go to Hospital just to receive a diagnosis, treatment or therapy and they are classed as 'Outpatients' as they do not stay overnight. Inpatients - Some patients are admitted to Hospital for day case surgery or longer, these patients are 'Inpatients'.

In order to be seen by a specialist in a Hospital you must be referred by your GP. However you can refer yourself directly to an Allied Health Professional such as Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists and Physiotherapists. Allied Health Professionals work in health care teams to support the health care system  by providing a range of diagnostic, technical, therapeutic and direct patient care and support services that are essential to the other health professionals they work with and the patients they care for.