Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 13 May
May 16, 2022
Happy International Nurses’ Day for yesterday! I thoroughly enjoyed visiting colleagues on the wards at Sandwell yesterday to share my appreciation for your commitment to our patients and each other. Nurses’ Day comes in the middle of International Day of the Midwife (last Thursday) and ODP Day tomorrow. I hope you have all enjoyed either thanking or being thanked by colleagues and patients for your extraordinary service, night and day.
Over the past week our new fundamentals of care approach has been very much at the forefront of my mind as we begin discussing how best we will ensure that we are delivering the first of our three new strategic objectives: “Patients – to be good or outstanding in everything we do”. This week has been a great opportunity to engage with staff about this approach and we have also involved members of the public with an 80 strong event at the CAP Centre in Smethwick, ably led by Jayne Salter-Scott. You will be hearing more about the fundamentals of care approach over the next few weeks and months as we shape the delivery plan. I am really pleased that it has been received well and that colleagues are eager to work together and deliver safe, high quality care, using our emerging standards. Uniquely in the NHS, we have partnered with a leading international organisation so there will be plenty of opportunity to learn from others and bring best practice to all our services within Sandwell and West Birmingham.
Delivering the fundamentals of care consistently is absolutely vital. It is by having a strong foundation of care standards that we can safely grow, innovate and become world leaders in care quality. Without getting the fundamentals right, any pretence we have to be an innovative, excelling Trust will be just that – a pretence. I see excellence in many parts of our Trust, but I don’t always see consistently good care for every patient no matter what care they need. We can and will do better. We are already beginning to turn the dial in one life-changing area – Sepsis. I am pleased to report that we are no longer an outlier for deaths from sepsis. The Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator for deaths from Sepsis has reduced steadily for the past months that we have data for and our recent focused week on Sepsis should continue to have a positive impact. Every patient whose Sepsis is identified and managed quickly is a potential saved life. Thank you for continuing to be vigilant in the delivery of this fundamental aspect of care.
Our staff networks spent Wednesday sheltering from the near biblical rain in Sandwell Courtyard to raise awareness of their role and to encourage more colleagues to join a network. I am told that new members were recruited to every network which is great news. Our Trust is a fantastically diverse community serving a wonderfully diverse population. Our staff networks provide challenge and support as we continue to ensure we are inclusive, fair and welcoming to all colleagues and patients. We continue to aspire to be a Trust where all staff’s lived experience is one of fair and inclusive treatment by their colleagues.
Have a good weekend.
Richard.