Every day across the Trust, I continue to see and hear about colleagues doing extraordinary things, often in incredibly challenging circumstances to care for our patients and their families.
I was going to add ‘whatever the weather’ as a sentiment, but as we’ve all experienced, this week’s extreme heat has brought a whole new level of challenge. Whether working in our hospitals or out in the community, the conditions have tested everyone’s resilience.
Like many organisations, we’ve taken practical steps to help by relaxing uniform guidance, encouraging people to stay well hydrated, closing curtains and sourcing as many fans and other cooling equipment as possible.
But with around 10,000 people including patients, visitors, and colleagues, within buildings that were never designed for sustained high temperatures, we know these measures can only go so far.
So I want to take a moment to say a genuine thank you. Thank you for maintaining your energy, professionalism and compassion, even in moments of real discomfort. I fully recognise how tough it has been and I do not take for granted the effort it takes to continue delivering safe, high-quality care under these conditions.
Despite the heat it has also been encouraging this week to see clear signs of progress in one of our most important priorities – eradicating the use of corridor care.
Regular readers of this blog will know that this remains our number one focus and achieving it will require the continued effort, expertise and commitment of colleagues across both our hospital and community services.
Recently published national data showed that, at the height of our challenges, an average of 62 patients each day were being cared for in corridors rather than in appropriate clinical beds and , as I have said before, even one patient in that situation is one too many.
We must never forget that behind every number is a person, someone valued and loved, and a colleague working in an environment that is far from ideal. For both, we must keep pushing forward without pause no matter the temperature outside or anything else.
The data also confirms that we remain one of the busiest A&E departments in the country, with demand continuing to rise. Around 50 more people attended A&E this June compared to the same month last year and roughly 20 more than in April, which was our busiest month on record.
The pressure is real, and it is sustained. But importantly, so is our determination and the progress we’re making day by day. I am pleased to share that we are beginning to see tangible improvements.
We have started to safely remove some of the additional, temporary beds that were put in place on our wards and the reduction in corridor care is visible when you walk through our services. This is a direct result of the hard work, teamwork and focus of colleagues right across the Trust.
Thank you again to everyone contributing to this effort. I remain confident that we will achieve our goal, not only for our patients and their families, but for ourselves as colleagues too.
I want to finish with a couple of well-deserved shout-outs, which I know are always appreciated.
Firstly, congratulations to Alison Thorpe and Joanne Gaskell from our palliative care team, who have been recognised at the Excellence in Clinical Audit Awards. As many of you will know, ensuring high-quality end-of-life care for patients and their families is a key priority for us and Alison and Joanne play a vital role in delivering this.
Their award, which has been under embargo until National Clinical Audit Awareness Week, recognises a project that used data to drive meaningful improvements in patient outcomes and was selected as a national winner. This is a fantastic achievement and speaks volumes about their dedication and expertise.
Well done to you both, we are extremely proud to have you as part of ELHT and there can be no more important moment to get care right for our families. The feedback I regularly receive is testimony that we do and that your work makes a real difference.
Finally, I would like to share some feedback I received from a patient following their visit to our endoscopy outpatient clinic. I am always grateful to receive feedback, but this was particularly pleasing given the continuing pressures on the service, with demand increasing year on year.
It is clear that the team continue to rise to the challenge, delivering high-quality, compassionate care. This is further evidenced by their recent achievement of national accreditation, recognising the high standards they consistently uphold.
The patient wrote: “I am writing to offer my grateful thanks to East Lancashire Hospitals Trust and, in particular, to the staff who looked after me when I attended the Endoscopy Outpatient Clinic. From the moment that I walked into the unit, to the moment that I left, the care provided was excellent. Every member of staff with whom I had contact was friendly, polite, well-informed and instilled confidence. The whole endoscopic procedure was efficiently and confidently carried out, from the welcome at reception, through to my discharge.”
They finished with a sentence that I think says it all: “East Lancashire Hospitals Trust has much to be proud of.”
I may be biased, but I couldn’t agree more.
Thank you to every one of you who continues to contribute to our success. Your work is deeply valued and appreciated and more than you may realise.
Martin