People across Morecambe Bay have the chance to influence the future of the NHS.

The University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) is looking for new public and staff governors to join its Council of Governors.

Nominations close on Friday, August 9, for people who want to help guide the direction of the trust that manages Furness General Hospital in Barrow, the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, and Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal.

The Trust also runs community services, which means there are plenty of ways to get involved and help shape its future direction.

Governors will attend regular council meetings with members of the board of directors and can get involved in committee meetings and activities like appointing non-executive directors.

They will also participate in events including the recent opening of the new Oncology and Haematology Unit at the RLI.

The role includes holding non-executive directors to account for the performance of the board, appointing or removing the Trust's external auditors, and representing the interests of the Trust members as a whole.

Mike Thomas, chair of UHMBT, said: "Governors have an important role to play in helping to shape and monitor our Trust’s services.

"They help to inform our constituents about what is happening in the Trust, and informing Trust management about what the public thinks about our services, plans and initiatives.

"They are appointed to represent the interests and views of our members and of the public.

"Governors bring valuable insights and experiences to our services and ensure that the NHS is accountable to our local population."

People who want to stand as a governor can seek help to complete their nomination form from the Returning Officer by emailing uhmb@uk-engage.org.

The Trust will hold its Annual Members’ Meeting on Monday, September 16 at 2pm in the Education Centre at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary.

All members of the Trust are welcome to attend, and people can become members at the UHMBT member portal website.

Available vacancies within the Trust's public constituencies include Barrow and West Cumbria, Lancashire and North Yorkshire, South Lakeland and North Cumbria, and the rest of England.