This week, I attended the monthly NHSE North West Regional leadership meeting. Typically, these meetings cover a broad range of topics, but this time, the focus was squarely on the recent tragic event in Southport, and the subsequent unacceptable behaviour that followed, with a particular emphasis on the multi-agency response—especially that of the NHS.
The reason many of us work in the NHS is the profound impact we can make during times of crisis. Our response has been met with widespread praise, and we've been commended for how we've addressed some of the national issues.
Hopefully, things will begin to settle now. However, we've received a significant amount of national guidance, and Amanda Pritchard, in her weekly statement, highlighted the importance of the NHS response and the lessons we can draw from these events.
We continue to work closely with Lancashire Constabulary and our local authority partners to gather and sift through the information shared across various online platforms, ensuring our ongoing response is well-informed and effective.
Last week, I mentioned the listening session we held for colleagues to voice their concerns. This week, we followed up with a virtual session attended by over 100 colleagues. I want to extend my gratitude to those who bravely spoke up during the event. Hearing the hard truths of their lived experiences, both at work and in their personal lives, was difficult but necessary.
We are committed to turning these terrible events into opportunities for positive change by maintaining our focus on challenging anti-racist, Islamophobic, and discriminatory behaviours. As I’ve often said, this type of behaviour should never be accepted as normal.
Our colleagues and communities deserve better.
In the coming weeks, you’ll see changes in how we manage racism, violence, and aggression against our colleagues. There is a strong commitment to using both national guidance and local policies to protect our people. We encourage everyone to report incidents of racial abuse, hate crimes, or discriminatory behaviour through internal mechanisms, directly to the police, or via third-party organisations.
Another significant challenge we face is balancing our budget while protecting patient safety and maintaining quality of care, especially as we strive to achieve significant efficiency savings.
We are not alone in this; the wider Lancashire and South Cumbria health system, and much of the NHS, are also grappling with unprecedented financial challenges.
We are working and planning as a system to improve our financial position. This will be most effective as we begin to work differently—most notably, by collaborating as one team across the region to eliminate waste and duplication.
Chief Executives from the provider Trusts are regularly meeting with the National Chief Financial Officer for NHS England to exchange updates, provide peer support and ensure we are taking every possible step to improve our situation.
Amidst these challenges, there are remarkable efforts happening quietly behind the scenes. This week, I had the pleasure of presenting the Employee of the Month award to Zafran Akram, a Healthcare Assistant on Ward C9.
It’s rare to see a nomination from the relatives of a patient, but in this case, Zafran’s exceptional care left a lasting impression. He had cared for an elderly gentleman on the ward who, sadly, passed away later at home. However, while on the ward, the gentleman's grandson noticed the Employee of the Month promotional information and nominated Zafran.
The nomination highlighted how highly the patient spoke of Zafran’s care, and how his family witnessed the professionalism, attentiveness, and kindness Zafran extended not only to their grandfather but to everyone on the ward. The family was so grateful that they came in to see him receive the award.
Our colleagues often face very difficult and challenging circumstances, so it was incredibly uplifting to be part of the recognition for Zafran, who is a credit to his team, ward, and the Trust. He truly embodies the safe, personal, and effective care we strive for, which was writ large in his well-deserved award.
On that note, I’d like to make a small request: If someone has provided exceptional care to you, made your hospital experience a positive one, or gone out of their way to support you during a difficult day, please consider nominating them for Employee of the Month.
It’s a wonderful way to show appreciation and gives a significant boost to those who go above and beyond.
The past few weeks have been intense and consuming, with many of our worlds changing in ways we couldn’t have anticipated – and that is just our work lives. I want to remind everyone that it’s okay not to feel okay.
Amidst the heavy workload, it’s essential to take a moment—perhaps over a cup of tea or a sandwich—with a colleague to reflect on what’s going well, what could be better, and to seek help if you’re facing challenges that feel overwhelming, whether at work or at home.
Remember, we’re ELHT family, all in this together. If you’re struggling, don’t hesitate to reach out—support is available, and we’re here to help each other through.