Message from Mel Roberts, Chief Nursing Officer – NHS England/Improvement visit outcome

March 7, 2023

Dear colleagues,

I am delighted to inform you that following the recent NHS England / Improvement visit which focused on infection control practices, we have achieved the equivalent of ‘Green’ status. This is a fantastic achievement, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your hard work and dedication in maintaining our high standards of infection control.

Although there were still some issues identified during the visit, the inspectors were impressed with our ability to understand and manage our risks. They felt that we all shared the same commitment to infection control, from ward to board, and that we had a good grip on the situation.

We will receive the formal report in the next few weeks, and we will develop an action plan with colleagues to address any issues that have been identified. We also need to keep up the momentum as we have a maintenance visit scheduled in 6 – 9 months, which will be a challenging one. Therefore, we need to ensure that we continue to work hard and maintain our high standards to keep our green status.

I am proud to say that the inspectors noted a positive change in our staff, who were no longer defensive but proud of their work. This is a testament to the hard work that has been put in by everyone to maintain our standards.

Please share this message with your teams and thank them for their help, support and hard work in achieving this milestone. Let us continue to work together to ensure that we continue to maintain our green status for infection control.

Thank you once again for your commitment to providing excellent care to our patients.

Mel Roberts

Chief Nursing Officer