Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 26 January 2018

January 26, 2018

Cervical cytology screening, or smears, are a key weapon in the battle against cancer.  Early detection through screening reduces deaths and improves outcomes. This short films explains how the procedure is carried out.

I am taking a break this week from writing about Carillion or Midland Met.  The situation, as you will appreciate, will take a little time to evolve.  There is no further bad news and we remain committed to the new hospital, as do partners and Ministers.  We are making some progress with building contractors and banks in resolving the issues. I will doubtless write more about this over coming weeks.

Hopefully, after three days of operation, you are familiar on our hospital sites with the new Click and Collect weekday food service.  This idea is a simple one.  Very few of us have time to queue.  This service should take queuing time away.  It also gives you chance where you work to look at food options and know for sure what is available.  Like any new system I am guessing there will be teething issues, but let’s hope it helps, especially at City where Arches can get overrun of a lunchtime.  You know that a little while ago we decided in principle to try and keep most retail catering at the Trust in house.  At the same time we did not agree to lots of price increases.  Instead the strategy is about growing the number of us who use these services.  I really hope the new service helps Steve, Jane and the team to do that.

This week we publicised again our joint working agreement with the Modality group of GPs.  Most of us, I suspect, intuitively believe it makes sense to work more closely with primary care.  The challenge is how to do that at scale.  110 practices work in our immediate patch and they vary greatly.  We are working to offer a practice nurse bank service to some, in other cases we are moving outpatient clinics to their patch, under LMS we are reshaping how community midwifery is organised.  Whether it is through an accountable care system, or another vehicle, a great deal of time and attention will need to be spent in the next year on trying to devise much deeper integration arrangements locally.  I am very optimistic that this can be achieved, and that it offers huge benefits for the patients we serve.  When we asked you a year ago what the number one improvement necessary from primary care was, you told us it was medicines reconciliation.  That ask has not been lost for the work we are doing.

56 more flu jabs are needed to reach 80% coverage among patient facing staff.  But today I want to highlight a different risk for staff, friends and patients.  Cervical cytology screening, or smears, are a key weapon in the battle against cancer.  Early detection through screening reduces deaths and improves outcomes.  At the top of this message is a short film showing how simple the procedure is.  I make no apology, in a workforce where over three quarters of our colleagues are female, for highlighting the necessity for, and merits of, screening.  If you are due please make your appointment.  If family members are due please consider talking to them about the risks of avoiding this simple test.

Finally thank you again to everyone who has been involved this week in welcoming our student nurses, and those completing training and joining our teams.  Our nurse education always rates highly with both nursing schools’ graduates.  Our work is to convert that enthusiasm into willing joiners.  More than fifty are joining us this month.  We continue to work to ensure that community options are emphasised to new starters, alongside hospital work.  After all in the near future, we would expect many more our clinical roles to span both domains or locations.  Now is the time to begin thinking that way, and developing the skills to coach and support those in such roles.

#hellomynameis….Toby