Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 20 September
September 20, 2024
I want to start this week’s message by unapologetically stating that we now have only 15 days left before the first patient moves from Sandwell to Midland Metropolitan University Hospital
(MMUH) on Sunday 6 October. I would like to thank all staff working around the clock to ensure everything is in place by that date. The ask of everyone is intensive but the cause is both exciting and worthwhile.
This week we had the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on-site for 3 days as part of the new hospital CQC registration process. This is a crucial milestone. The assessment process has involved a comprehensive examination of the services at our new hospital and the environment in which they will take place. It has included site visits, discussions with clinical teams, and a meticulous review of documents and data. The phased assessment has taken place between June and August to secure registration this week. It is important to stress this is a registration process, not a standard, service inspection by the CQC.
The registration went very well and is another sign that we will be ready to open next month. The successful registration with the CQC is a regulatory requirement and a testament to our commitment to providing exceptional care at Midland Met.
As I write this CEO message today , we are also hosting two events at MMUH , one for the media and in the afternoon an event for stakeholders who have been integral in the work to get the hospital finished and ready to open . We are hosting around 30 members of the media and 140 stakeholders. Thank you to everyone involved in this as they are big events to organise. The reason we have held in advance is so that we have as little intrusion as possible on move day and beyond and gives these group of stakeholders an opportunity to preview the new hospital and ask questions. On Monday next week we are also hosting our final Near Neighbours event at MMUH speaking with local members of the community close the new hospital or those who have an active interest and have watched it progress.
Also, this week I attended the Joint Birmingham and Sandwell Health, Overview and Scrutiny meeting at the Sandwell Council House where of course, the main topic of conversation was the opening of the new hospital. They were all very supportive of the new hospital and there was lots of praise for staff and partners getting this over the line. Of course, I fielded some more targeted questions around parking ( always a favourite) , safe staffing models and retention of staff.
I am also pleased to announce the release of the new Trust Quality Standards for Patients, Principles of Referral and Admission document. Some of you may have received an email from me sharing this update but if you haven’t please take time to read through the document. It focusses on how all of us must to work together to achieve the best possible care for our patients. It is essential that we work together to minimise delays for patients in both our elective and non-elective pathways. We all have our part to play in ensuring that we take ownership of our patients as early as possible, so that they get the most appropriate care from the right clinician first time. It is important to realise that things won’t change overnight, but we are committed to working with teams across the Trust to support you in developing your services to achieve this approach. Moreover, we will be actively auditing and measuring our progress against these standards in our first 100 days in MMUH. We cannot transplant some of our existing, outmoded approach to speciality response, into our brand new hospital. We must start as we mean to go on.
Next week Is National Inclusion Week, a week which aims to encourage everyone to understand, identify, and measure their impact on marginalised groups, regardless of their role or position. Black Country ICB are hosting a jam-packed week of events to celebrate National Inclusion Week, to view the events taking place, click here.
Finally with 16 days left, don’t forget to book onto your staff induction for MMUH if you haven’t done so already and it is also vital colleagues get their new ID/access cards for the site. For more information please click here.