HEREFORD Hospital Trust is hoping to get the go-ahead to become a foundation trust next January.

If it is given the nod the new trust could be up and running by this time next year.

Such a move will give the trust board more responsibility to run its own affairs at Hereford County Hospital and cut some of its ties with the government.

But to achieve foundation status the hospital has to meet certain requirements and one of these is that it must recruit a certain number of members'.

A large membership base is needed to provide the depth of need and diversity of opinion that will enable foundation trusts to respond, with more certainty, to the health needs of their local communities.

In December 2006 the Secretary of State for Health turned down the Hereford hospital's request for foundation status because of its financial position but urged it to try again when the situation was improved.

By then 280 people from all parts of the county's catchment area had been recruited as members and now serve in shadow form.

They are regularly consulted by the hospital trust on policy and they have been involved in several workshops.

But to become effective, and to impress the Department of Health it wants many more people to come forward and register as members.

One percent of Hereford Hospital Trust's catchment population equates to 2,300 members and the trust's suggested target is 10,000 members by the time it has been a foundation trust for five years.

In the meantime it wants to recruit 2,000 members over the next 12 months.

Its membership strategy is being updated and submitted at the end of August and existing members are now being encouraged to recruit an additional four members.

Chief executive Martin Woodford urged people to join up, saying the ability of the County Hospital to achieve foundation status was of vital importance to its future progress.