A new report has cast doubt on the government's claim that foundation trusts will prove more accountable to local communities. The year long study of Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in east London by the health charity the King's Fund shows disillusionment among its governors.

The trust was one of the first to gain foundation status. Many of the governors complain that they have had little or no influence on how the hospital is run. Boards of governors, which consist mainly of members of the public, were supposed to be the watchdogs that gave local people a …