A
couple of weeks with a focus on partnership working
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been meeting with
partners to discuss our service contracts and plans for next year. We’re really
getting down into the nitty gritty now of what we can and can’t do and we will
hopefully be crystallising some joint decisions over the next few weeks or so.
I have been flagging with commissioners the implications of funding for some of our critical improvements, such as safe staffing, and what the potential consequences are if money isn’t forthcoming. I have talked previously about the need to ensure our service offer matches the resources we are being given and we have an important workshop on 20 February to try to reach some agreements about a number of key areas. We would then be taking these to our Board on 28 February to agree our Trusts approach. So watch this space for further updates.
I have been flagging with commissioners the implications of funding for some of our critical improvements, such as safe staffing, and what the potential consequences are if money isn’t forthcoming. I have talked previously about the need to ensure our service offer matches the resources we are being given and we have an important workshop on 20 February to try to reach some agreements about a number of key areas. We would then be taking these to our Board on 28 February to agree our Trusts approach. So watch this space for further updates.
This week, I also met with colleagues from the Northern
Care Alliance, which is collaboration between a number of NHS Foundation Trusts
currently bringing together five local hospitals, 2,000 beds, specialist and
acute services, a range of community services, and over 17,000 staff from
Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust and The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
We discussed potential opportunities for Pennine Care to
work collaboratively with the Alliance and spent some time sharing each other’s
agenda’s and looking for ways we could work more closely together, particularly
on Out of Hospital’ models and Urgent care pathways. This could, for example, include
some joint posts going forward.
We haven’t agreed anything specific at the
moment, but it was a productive and friendly meeting and we have agreed a follow
up session soon to explore what some of these opportunities might look like in
a bit more detail. We will ensure colleagues in our locality teams are kept
engaged in this and I will continue to keep you informed of progress on this
key piece of work.
One thing that has struck me this week on a visit to HMR
community services is the spirit of our staff and their ‘can do’ attitude. It’s
been a difficult six months for the team and services there, with a lack of
Managing Director until very recently and ever increasing demands on their
services. But they have really stepped up to the plate and continued to provide
the level of service our patients expect and deserve. They have established good
relationships with our partners and demonstrated some great examples of cross
borough working, which I think is fantastic. Well done everyone!
I appreciate that there’s a lot of change going on at the
moment, and I have picked up some anxiety and concerns from you all about what
this might mean. The implication of our financial position and what services we
will be able to provide in the future is no doubt a worry to many of you. I
also know that when money is tight people worry about what it might mean for
them personally.
Through our Partnership Officers at our JNCC meeting this week
I have picked up some concern that some of the engagement we have been doing
recently, for example on our Mental Health Strategy and case-loads within
Community Mental Health services, is creating some anxiety for people about
what it means.
Can I just offer some reassurance that this engagement comes
from a very positive place of recognising just how much pressure our services
are under and trying to seek your views about we should do to try to address
these pressures. We have hugely caring and skilled staff and we need to do
everything we can to retain people.
The improvements we most need to make are about
reducing the stress and strain on our staff not about reducing our workforce. So
please be reassured, I am committed to keeping you engaged and informed in how
we can improve things, and will continue to engage with you on a personal level
and via our leadership teams.
And on the subject of engagement, I would encourage you
all to participate in the Go Engage surveys which take place across the Trust
once a quarter; these help me and the Board to understand what it feels like
for you working here. The next one is due out very soon and there is a
celebration event of the teams who have engaged in this programme in March
which I am very much looking forward to attending. No doubt details about this will follow shortly.
Many Thanks,
Claire
Chief Executive
Chief Executive
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