Monitor carried out a dry run of third-party assurance for foundation trusts’ 2009/10 Quality Accounts. The dry run was successful in developing third-party audit assurance for foundation trusts. The National Quality Board asked that a similar dry run be carried out for NHS acute and mental health trusts in 2010/11, which also proved successful.
Therefore, from 2011/12 onwards, NHS acute and mental health trusts will need to gain external audit assurance for their Quality Accounts. The ultimate aim is to bring audit assurance for NHS trusts in line with the requirements Monitor places on foundation trusts.
Guidance for NHS trusts gaining audit assurance of their Quality Accounts will be published on the website in due course.