Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 4 September
September 4, 2020
Hi everyone, it has been an absolute privilege to stand in as Acting CEO this week. It has been a busy one!
As well as the many positive things to highlight this week, I wanted to directly address concerns that some of you may have about leadership absence and rumours of changes to organisational structures and forms locally.
Firstly, please be assured that arrangements are in place that ensure we can continue effectively with what we are here to do, which is to provide a high quality service to our patients and their families. I also want to assure you that we continue to have robust governance systems in place with clear areas of responsibility set out among the executive team and group leadership, held to account by our non-executive colleagues. These arrangements will be further strengthened in the coming weeks, whilst we continue to wish Toby well in his recovery. If you have any specific concerns, as always, please get in touch with me.
The NHS is always full of rumours about the disbanding of one organisation or another. It is true that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the landscape, and as we restore and recover services, clinical collaboration is more important than ever. This does not mean a merger, or a disbanding of our Trust. Our Trust Board met yesterday and confirmed that our number one priority remains our local population, and we do not believe that a change in organisational form is required to act in the best interests of our patients, or the wider NHS. Our primary focus remains as becoming the best integrated provider of care in the NHS, in our Sandwell and West Birmingham places, and in the successful delivery of the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital – which as we all know, isn’t “just” a new hospital – it is a new model of care for our Trust.
In this context the Board discussed our involvement in the Black Country and West Birmingham STP – the partnership of all health and social care organisations across the patch. I want to therefore assure you clearly that any discussion of a merger with any other organisation is complete nonsense. NHS Midlands have asked for our plans on collaborating with acute care providers and you will know that for some time we have been at the forefront of such collaborations, being founders of the Black Country Alliance. The Board made it very clear that our position remains that we are not choosing any shared governance arrangements with others, but we continue to collaborate where it makes evidenced, clinical sense to do so, and where we can see a benefit to our patients. Our focus on integrated care, the Sandwell and West Birmingham ICPs and delivering transformed services in line with the Midland Met programme, led by Rachel Barlow as Director of System Transformation, remain our priorities.
Further on Midland Met, your input is needed into one of our proposals for arts and heritage in the new hospital. We have always been clear that this is “more than a hospital” with significant opportunities for regeneration of the local area. Part of the programme around Midland Met is to introduce a number of visual and performance arts schemes as well as see how we can use education and learning to best effect within the building. We would like your views on the importance of recognising the heritage of our hospitals and healthcare in the local area so would be grateful if you could complete this survey. Your comments will help develop what we do within the building and how we engage with local partners.
The Board also had important discussions yesterday about COVID recovery plans, our Digital Ambition (built on the improved resilience of our IT infrastructure), our, “why weight?” campaign, recruitment plans, and a CQC progress update. It’s really encouraging to be able to report to the Board good progress on all of these areas.
With Speak Up Day coming up next week I’d like to encourage you all to use the day to make sure you know how you can raise a safety, or indeed any serious concern, at work. I, along with many of my leader colleagues, will be making myself available for anyone to speak in confidence who wants to raise something that is worrying you or is of concern. Please take this opportunity to talk to us so we can changes things and make a difference. I am not just saying this, I mean it, and would love to see and hear from as many of you as possible. Details of everyone’s availability on Wednesday will be on Connect.
Last week in the Friday message, David wished good luck to Kelly Stackhouse who had been shortlisted for the British Journal of Nursing Awards. I’m absolutely delighted to say that Kelly won in her category and we are so very proud that she is the Continence Nurse of the Year – congratulations Kelly!
Remember to cast your vote in our very own star awards. The voting form is available here. All the shortlisted entrants deserve your consideration so please take the time to vote.
This week’s star of the week is Critical Care Deputy Matron Esther Barron who was nominated by a member of her team for being an outstanding manager and role model. Esther has provided encouragement, support and inspiration which has been greatly appreciated.
Finally, today marks the first broadcast of Dr Nick Makwana’s dance exercise class. It is great to see this feature of our ‘why weight?’ campaign and something I would encourage you all to join in with. You can share your moves and pictures using #Dance4Wellbeing. What better day for a boogie than a Friday? We are aiming for a Friday weekly join in at 12noon and 8pm so if you missed the earlier slot why not try for 8pm tonight? You can join in here.
Thank you for your hard work as always, I am really proud to work with you.
Dinah McLannahan
Chief Finance Officer