Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 11 March
March 11, 2022
Another week with heartbreaking stories continuing to come out of the situation in Ukraine. We are all deeply troubled by the news that is reaching us. Thank you to everyone who has donated directly to the Disasters Emergency Committee who are channelling resources towards those fleeing from conflict. Lots of you are also supporting other local and national responses and are being extremely generous. Jenny Donovan and her cancer services team have coordinated supplies from staff donations to a local organisation in Smethwick who are transporting clothing, toiletries and other items to border towns. For those staff with family in Ukraine and everyone affected by this crisis please know that there is support available from our own occupational health service and the Black Country hub with their counselling and support offer. The news can cause extreme anxiety, which is normal, and will be even more concerning for staff who have family or loved ones who are affected. We will support you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Closer to home, the escalations in cost of living, plus the additional impact of the war in Ukraine, is being felt by all of us, but particularly those of you on lower incomes. We know this will remain challenging for some considerable time and whilst we can’t magic up pay rises for all our staff because of the reduction in income coming to organisations in 2022/23, there are things that we can and will do to help ease that burden including the everyday discounts we can offer you through SWBH Benefits. Let us know what you think would help while we review the support that is already available to all staff.
There is, however, lots of good news in our organisation where acts of kindness are recognised and appreciated. Our star of the week this week is Claire Obiakor from Acute Medicine. Claire was nominated for the support she has given to a colleague in helping her back to work after a period of ill health. Claire has been praised for the way she has managed the unit during the pandemic and for the support given to all the team. Thank you, Claire.
On Tuesday next week the first ever National Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Day takes place. At our Trust we have 34 Cancer CNSs who provide vital support to patients, helping to improve their journey following diagnosis. Patient Jane Evitts has shared her experience with the CNS team and will share her story in a filmed message on Tuesday. The Cancer CNSs embody everything that is great about our Trust. On that theme, our Trust Board has this week been thinking about what makes our organisation great and what could be better as we continue on the journey to firm up a new set of values, a new way of working together, which will underpin our new strategy and the “3 P’s”. The Cancer CNS team are an excellent example of the values and behaviours that all in our Trust should live up to. If you haven’t yet, please take just two minutes to answer three quick questions to help shape our values. In different times we would perhaps be doing lots more face-to-face events and activities to help people to have their say. COVID-19 and the overwhelming workload we face is preventing some of this, so this great opportunity is here now for you to take part in.
We today marked two years since the pandemic with a national remembrance event taking place in Staffordshire, arranged by NHS Charities Together. Our very own Wanika Simpson, HCA from AMU, was representing our Trust and remembering all those health care workers who we have sadly lost since 2020. It is sobering to consider how much has taken place and changed in the past two years. This weekend marks this Trust’s first inpatient who died with COVID-19. I hope you have an opportunity to reflect, with sadness, gratitude, but also with pride on just how much this Trust, you personally and your teams have contributed to our shared response to care for all patients and those within our populations.