Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 18 October

October 18, 2024

This week we came together to celebrate AHP ( Allied Healthcare Professional) Day and I , with other Exec colleagues were delighted to be able to visit some of our AHPs across areas at Sandwell and at Midland Met earlier this week . It was a pleasure to have a chat with some of our AHPs and for them to share their thoughts on their daily work challenges and new ways of working with MMUH and at Sandwell.

All the time, we hear politicians and others, describe the NHS staff as “doctors and nurses”.  Within the NHS, we know this is a false impression and AHP’s are a vital make up of our clinical workforce.  At SWB we employ 10 of the 14 professions which include Diagnostic Radiographers, Speech and Language Therapists, Operating Department Practitioners, Dietitians, Physiotherapists, Orthotists, Orthoptists, Paramedics, Podiatrists and Occupational Therapists.

I wanted in my message to reiterate the recognition for the work that they do to make a huge difference to the lives of our patients on a day-to-day basis helping to assess, diagnose, treat , rehabilitate and generally improve the lives of our patients in the Trust and community . Our AHPs along with the rest of our clinical teams are fundamental to delivering safe patient care and I want to thank them for the work that they do.

Now that we are a few days into the move from Sandwell to MMUH I want again to give thanks and recognition for a job well done. I know I have said it in my last two Friday messages, but the first part of the move went monumentally well . Opening a new hospital against a backdrop of financial constraint and relentless operational pressure was never going to be an easy job, it is a complex and all-consuming task,  but our teams really excelled.  I know that in-depth planning continues for the next set of moves in early November and thank you to everyone working those through. Can I ask the teams who are getting ready for the next set of moves continue to work through their planning as required and undertake inductions, so they are completely ready to move.

As we settle into the new building staff will obviously find new ways of working and a new environment different and maybe challenging . What I ask is that we are adapting to new ways of working and with that you will need to bring new styles and approaches to make to make working life an enjoyable and safe experience for your colleagues and patients.   As we live in and continue to learn about our new building , I want to assure you that we are listening and responding to your feedback.  For example, we have received genuine concerns about dedicated space in and around clinical areas for MDTs to undertake administration and case conferencing.  As a result, we are considering options for potential changes we can make to room designation etc in some areas, which will relieve that issue.  I anticipate those changes will be decided upon by the end of this month.  Please do bear with us as we work this through.

In addition, we know that we have not completed all of our moves as of yet , but some areas such as ED are under heightened pressure. We have had reports of some aggressiveness towards our staff and this will not be tolerated. Any aggressive towards out staff is taken very seriously and if you have received this or have seen this happen, please report it and it will be dealt with.

We have also received very heartening recognition from around the system about the first stage and opening of the new hospital ( as well as an enormous amount of very positive press coverage). We have seen many, many social media posts celebrating the opening and letters of recognition and thanks which is gratifying.   Just this week I received a very positive and complimentary letter sent by the Chair and Chief Executive of the Black Country ICB wanting to thank the Board and their teams for the ‘ immense leadership in planning for and delivering the first stage of the opening of the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital. Your teams went above and beyond in the days leading up to the moving day to ensure readiness and that the plan on the day went so well it was completed ahead of plan. This was a real team effort involving so many fantastic colleagues across the organisation’. I hope that I have managed to reiterate this sentiment in the many recent messages I have sent but I continue to feel a great surge in pride in the work that you all have achieved.

Don’t forget a raft of services remain at Sandwell such as Outpatient appointments, short stay surgery and an expanded Urgent Treatment Centre. Sandwell, as will the rest of the estate has now become a ‘health campus ‘ to encompass the breadth of services that remain. We are also ensuring that we continue to make major investment into our estates at Sandwell and City to ensure that they remain fit for purpose for our staff to work in them and for our patients to have an enjoyable experience when they attend for appointments/visits.

As a Trust we value and appreciate all of our staff and have a zero tolerance of violence and aggression towards our colleagues or patients. We want to support our colleagues in any way we can and will not tolerate, under any circumstances any of our staff being subjected to intimidation, harassment, or racist abuse.  We want to support anyone who may be feeling vulnerable or anxious and this is delivered through the Trust’s zero tolerance of violence and aggression, racism, and discrimination of any other form towards staff, which are more important than ever. We need to support each other, protect each other and be allies for those who may be feeling particularly anxious or concerned about the troubling events that have happened. For further details, we ask staff to read the Violence and Aggression Policy.

Note: In an emergency you should always call the police on 999. You can also call the security team on any internal phone on ext. 2222

Finally, the NHS Staff Survey has now been launched and you should will have been e-mailed a unique link from ‘Staff Survey 2024 picker_surveys@picker.org’ or if you work in catering, ward services or portering, you will receive a paper copy.

As of today, the staff survey completion rate is at 10.83 per cent. Whilst it’s early in the process, this is a slow start. I know that we are still in an incredibly busy period, with staff settling in and others preparing to move to Midland Met, however, we still need to ensure that we achieve a better response rate to the staff survey than we did last year. What we have recently achieved together as a wider team, should really trigger opinions and feedback about working here, which we can reflect in the staff survey.

Improving staff engagement and experience is key to the success of Midland Met – so please do tell us how you are feeling. It will take no longer than five minutes of your time.