Chief Executive sets out ambition to reimagine healthcare at Annual Members Meeting
There were plenty of questions from governors and members of the public on the future of our services at our Annual Members meeting for the financial year of 2024/25 on Monday. Around 50 people gathered to hear a presentation from Interim Chief Executive Trudie Davies who set out on behalf of Chair, Steven Morgan our ambition to reimagine healthcare in north Cumbria.
She outlined the harsh facts presented to us recently in the new National Oversight Framework where we were ranked 130 out of 134 acute trusts in the Country.
“In the short term we must have a laser focus on performance – long waits in A&E, for routine operations and cancer care are unacceptable.
“In the medium to long term we have to reconsider how we deliver healthcare in our Trust. Using the NHS 10 year plan as our guide – we will change.“
Trudie set our emerging thinking around that shift from hospital to community, illness to prevention and analogue to digital so that we can care for patients in the right place at the right time.
She said, “We’re really clear that we operate one hospital across two sites providing acute and complex care with accessible, high quality emergency and maternity care. While improving those, we need to build on the services we provide in the community, for example developing our virtual wards and outpatient services. That will mean working differently to how we work now. In the future clinicians may not always need to see patients face to face to assure they are well in the way that they do now. We must embrace digital opportunities to do things differently. We have to be comfortable with the uncomfortable to protect the future of the NHS.”
“We are starting the conversation now and we want to hear views from patients and the wider population. We will be looking in detail at all our services to see if the way we provide care fit for the future. We will develop a case for change and work with our clinicians, patients, partners and the wider community to develop options for change. Any proposals for substantial change will go through formal public consultation.”
In her presentation on improvements during 2024/25 she was able to describe the huge investment that has taken place into our estates and facilities – over £120m in total which are a key part of our plans to improve care and attract staff to come and work in north Cumbria.
And she also talked about her immediate key priority to improve the working experience for staff, reflecting on the impact that NOF ratings have on colleagues. She said, “‘This does have an impact on staff morale when they are going home after a long shift and then see negative reports in the media. I think we are giving our staff an impossible job, and we need to do much more to support them, which is why I’ve invested in new leaders in people services.
“I honestly believe if we have happy staff, we will have happy patients and I’m keen that we listen more to our colleagues and put support in place where it is needed.”
Challenged about whether we will see the improvements in six months she said, “We might not have made the improvements we want to see in six months but we will have a plan that sets out what we need to do and in what order to make the improvements we need to see”
Responding to a question from a member of the public about services at West Cumberland Hospital, she also committed to the future of West Cumberland Hospital, saying, “We need to be offering more care at West Cumberland Hospital not less. It’s a fantastic hospital and everyone who comes is impressed with the facilities. It is in a remote setting and the population need those services in Whitehaven.”
Lead Governor Jacqueline Nicol and Deputy Lead Governor Georgina Craig also appealed to those present to connect with them and share their views as we look to reimagine our services in the future.
After the presentations and questions and answers on a range of topics, those present heard from Professor Mary Morrell, Head of School for Pears Cumbria School of Medicine. The school which has now welcomed its first 58 students is part of our long term plan to foster home grown talent to live and work here in Cumbria.
Mary explained that the vision of the school is to improve health outcomes for the people of Cumbria and the work underway with NCIC to create joint appointments and establish a vibrant research hub.
The presentation and questions and answers will be on our Annual Members Meeting page.