The organisation which manages Sandwell’s hospitals will have to look at its finances in more detail before it can progress to the next stage of a bid for foundation trust status.

Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust’s application to free itself of central Government control went to Health Secretary Alan Johnson last week. But as bosses await the final outcome, they revealed that over the next two months the trust will be required to carry out extra financial modelling before it can progress any further.

If given the go-ahead, the trust could gain foundation status by the summer or early autumn.

If it is secured, it will transform the way the hospitals are run. As well as giving patients, staff and residents the chance to have their say, it would allow the hospitals to tailor their services to best meet the needs of the local population.

It will also allow the hospitals the chance to have more say on how their cash is spent.

Jessamy Kinghorn, head of communications at the trust, said: “We are awaiting formal feedback but we understand that, in common with all other trusts at this stage of the process, we will be asked to undertake some further technical financial modelling before progressing to the next stage.

“This is required because the foundation trust regulator, Monitor, has issued new guidance about financial forecasts and this needs to be incorporated in our plans.

“We will be doing this work over the next two months but we do not expect our overall timetable for becoming a foundation trust to be significantly affected.”

Trust officials have also revealed they hope to have 7,000 people in the community signed up as members within the next couple of months.

They are also set to organise elections for people to take on the role of governors next month.For more information about how to become a member of the foundation visit www.swbh.nhs.uk