The existing standards that trusts must meet to gain foundation trust status will not be lowered even if some trusts keep failing to meet them, MPs have been told.

The head of Monitor, the independent regulator of NHS foundation trusts, has said that he intends to preserve existing standards despite any possible pressure from government to ensure that all trusts gain foundation status by the current deadline of April 2014.

David Bennett, chair and chief executive of Monitor, was giving evidence to MPs on the parliamentary health select committee on 30 October as part of the committee’s annual accountability hearing with the regulator.

MPs asked if Monitor still sought to have all NHS …