A delicate balance of hope and doubt

This is how Barack Obama perfectly summed up the climate change challenge at the COP26 summit. He called on young people to "stay angry", but to channel their anger and harness their frustration, as he urged them to keep pushing harder against the dangerous lack of urgency. He also warned that it would be a marathon, not a sprint, and that they would need to accept imperfect compromises along the way.

We all need to do our bit of course. Nicky Tamanis, our finance director and Stephen Jameson, our director of estates recently attended a Greater Manchester climate change conference about the region’s green agenda.

Our new sustainability manager, Kehinde Aina, has also started this week and will be working on a green plan for our Trust. It will be ready in January and cover how we are going to reduce our carbon emissions, contribution to air pollution and use of plastic, as well as how we will improve recycling.

But when Obama said, “There are times when I feel discouraged, there are times when the future seems somewhat bleak” in his COP26 speech, I’m sure I wasn’t alone in thinking that he could have been talking about the NHS, as the immense service pressures continue to escalate across the land.

It certainly feels as if the NHS is walking a precariously narrow and tricky path at the moment, balancing a sense of doubt about our ability to tackle the scale of the challenges, whilst wanting to be hopeful about the future.

It’s understandable that there is a lot of concern and fear across the NHS system as to whether we can turn things around and make a difference. But, there is equally hope in the dedication and hard work you all continue to do and your achievements.

Obama’s speech has been described as a ‘call to arms’, and there has also been publicity this week about the chief executive of Addenbrooke’s Hospital holding an emergency meeting as a ‘call to arms’, to deal with a hospital which he described as barely coping. He said that if there is not a change in the way that they currently work, it is in “real trouble”.

Another NHS leader has also talked about the NHS now getting, “slaps, not claps” as public expectations rise. In fact, many nationally recognised and respected chief execs are speaking out about the relentless pressure, and warning that whilst regulators and politicians seem to think the war is over and we can go back to operating in ways we did before the pandemic, it isn’t and we can’t.

Those who attended our AGM last week will have heard my emphasis on stabilisation. I know how challenging it is out there for you at the moment. We are going to have to lean into this challenge and think about what we can do differently, because it’s simply not sustainable to carry on like this.

So, as I described in the AGM, our focus in the short term will be on those things that address the most pressing and urgent issues, with a high priority on supporting people’s well-being and ensuring we have a sustainable workforce.

And, we’ve now just had an extra potential workforce worry thrown into the mix, with confirmation that covid vaccines will be mandatory for NHS staff from April 2022. We know there is unease amongst some colleagues about having the vaccine, but we’ll need to await national guidance and information before we are able to share any detailed information about what exactly this might mean for our different staff groups. We will of course keep you fully updated and informed as soon as we know more.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the AGM contained that delicate balance of hope and doubt. Whilst it is important that we recognise the reality of where the pandemic has left us and the concerns people have, there was much to feel hopeful about. Our review of the year video highlighted that, amidst the fear, stress and pain of the pandemic, there were many uplifting moments and inspiring achievements.

I was so struck by what a lot had been achieved by you in spite of the most challenging of circumstances. And Alison’s powerful patient story was a shining example of hope following horrific experiences and long-standing challenges. I know I was not alone in my complete and utter admiration for the way she had turned things around, and for her courage in telling her story to us all.

So, whilst like Obama, there are undoubtedly times when we feel discouraged and the future seems somewhat bleak, we can try hard to leave our ‘negative knickers’ in the drawer and pull on our ‘positive pants’ - and take a moment to feel pride in what has been achieved and what we are capable of.