Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 22 April

April 22, 2022

The NHS England and Improvement’s priorities and operational planning guidance for this new financial year has 13 national priority deliverables that demonstrate huge political ambition for the NHS to “recover” post COVID.

This guidance reconfirms the ongoing need to restore services, meet new care demands and reduce the care backlogs that are a direct consequence of the pandemic.

While the future pattern of COVID-19 transmission and the resulting demands on the NHS remain uncertain, there is wide recognition that organisations need to continue to increase capacity and resilience to meet the full range of people’s health and care needs.

To support this national ask, at SWB we are putting the finishing touches to a plan which seeks to set the right balance between delivery of elective recovery, a safe urgent care service, incremental investment in admission avoidance and integrated care, together with financial expectations.

Our plans will require us to have the right amount of people delivering our services and there will be a real focus on recruitment, retention and colleague wellbeing.

At next week’s Board will discuss and agree the operational plan, capital programme and the financial budget for the year. Our goal is always to operate within our limits and the Board will only sign up to a plan that they feel is deliverable. Our expectations of you financially and in terms of care will be challenging yet attainable.

In light of the above, we also need to recognise the achievements of an exceptional and difficult 2021/22 and the Star Awards process does just that.

Nominations are open until Friday 3 June, so get thinking about those colleagues who have gone above and beyond this year, been part of something extra special or made a positive difference to the way we work or the quality of care our patients receive. Please get your nominations in via the page on Connect .

We will continue to develop our approach to recognition of excellence and invest up to £1 million in staff facilities such as staff rooms, wellbeing services and more accessible food/drink provision both in and out of hours.

Requests for new furniture or equipment to improve rest areas and also requests for minor works such as painting and shelving can be made via the form on Connect and emailed to Dinah McLannahan, Chief Finance Officer – Dinah.mclannahan@nhs.net . Dinah will then get in touch to progress your requests.