FRIMLEY Park Hospital has applied for the contentious foundation hospital status.
Frimley is one of 32 top performing hospitals eligible to apply and has sent a submission of interest to the Department of Health.
As a three-star hospital it has exercised its right to pursue semi-independent status, with power devolved from Whitehall to a board of elected local governors.
A hospital spokesman said: "We've sent a submission of interest. It describes why we feel our hospital would suit that sort of structure and that style of working. At some stage, and I'm sure it will be quite soon, we will be invited to send a raft of further information.
"The interests of the hospital are always the same: what will bring more or greater patient benefits."
Foundation hospitals will be free of Department of Health performance targets, setting their own targets instead, and will be able to set their own levels of pay.
But they have attracted critics, not least from 134 Labour MPs, who say they will result in a two-tier NHS.