Income and Expenditure
The total income of the union for the period was £802,189. This amount included payments of £800,625 in respect of membership of the union. The union’s total expenditure for the period was £842,944. The union does not maintain a political fund.
Salary paid to and other benefits provided to the General Secretary, President and members of the Executive
The General Secretary of the union was paid £116,401 in respect of salary and £5,688 in respect of benefits.
Irregularity statement
A member who is concerned that some irregularity may be occurring, or have occurred, in the conduct of the financial affairs of the union may take steps with a view to investigating further, obtaining clarification and, if necessary, securing regularisation of that conduct.
The member may raise any such concern with such one or more of the following as it seems appropriate to raise it with: the officials of the union, the trustees of the property of the union, the auditor or auditors of the union, the Certification Officer (who is an independent officer appointed by the Secretary of State) and the police.
Where a member believes that the financial affairs of the union have been or are being conducted in breach of the law or in breach of the rules of the union and contemplates bringing civil proceedings against the union or responsible officials or trustees, he should consider obtaining independent legal advice.
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS REPORT TO MEMBERS OF THE HOSPITAL CONSULTANTS AND SPECIALISTS ASSOCIATION
Opinion
We have audited the financial statements of The Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association for the year ended 30 September 2018 which comprise the Income and Expenditure Account, Balance Sheet and the related notes, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice), including FRS 102 - Section 1A for Small Entities "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland".
In our opinion the financial statements:
- give a true and fair view of the state of the Association's affairs as at 30 September 2018 and of its surplus/(deficit) for the year then ended;
- have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Practice applicable to smaller entities; and
- have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
Basis of opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the Association in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK , including the FRC's Ethical Standard, and the provisions available for small entities, in the circumstances set out in note 4 to the financial statements and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
Conclusions relating to going concern
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the ISAs (UK) require us to report to you where:
- the Executive Committee’s use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is not appropriate; or
- the Executive Committee have not disclosed in the financial statements any identified material uncertainties that may cast significant doubt about the Association’s ability to continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting for a period of at least twelve months from the date when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Matters on which we are required to report by exception
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the Association and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Executive Committee Report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where we are required to report to you if, in our opinion:
- adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us;
- the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records or returns;
- we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
Responsibilities of the Executive Committee
As explained more fully in the Executive Committee Responsibilities Statement set out on page 1, the Executive Committee are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the Executive Committee determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the Executive Committee are responsible for assessing the Association’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Executive Committee either intend to liquidate the Association or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council's website www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.
Use of our report
This report is made solely to the Association's members, as a body, in accordance with the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Association’s members those matters that we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Association and the Association’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.