Published on: 21 February 2020

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Hello everyone.

This week’s blog is a ‘themed’ one, and the theme, not surprisingly, is our wonderful people. I’m going to start by welcoming the newest member of our Trust Board and executive team, Dr Jawad Husain. Jawad has just taken up his position as executive medical director - a really important, key role to our future, and our aspirations to be great. I am really looking forward to working with him, and I am sure you are too.

We’ve all been subject to some pretty extreme weather lately (and it continues!) and last weekend, we had a flood overnight which took out our switchboard. The response by the staff involved and from the IT, switchboard and estates teams was absolutely fantastic. Disruption was minimised and everyone did a great job. I can’t thank them enough. The spirit of ELHT and our total commitment to safe, personal and effective care was demonstrated by all concerned, and epitomised by switchboard operator Catherine Broadly who, anticipating the potential difficulties for colleagues on site, came to work voluntarily at 4 am on Sunday morning. Amazing.

The National NHS Staff Survey results were published this week and, for the fifth year in a row, our results have improved. They show that ELHT really is a great place to work. We really value our staff - you are our greatest asset - and I together with all of the executive team and Trust Board, are particularly pleased that you have rated the Trust well for morale, team working, safety culture, staff engagement and our commitment to your health and well-being.  Of course, there is more that we can - and will - do. We are already working on how we can further improve your experience working here, and staff will be involved in that. Thank you to everyone who responded to the survey - and here in ELHT that is nearly 4000 of you - be assured, we are listening. You can find our more here.

It’s great that NHS Improvement have heard about some of the fantastic developments within the ED and Urgent Care teams and the embedding of our compassionate leadership approach. This has resulted in them publishing a case study about ELHT called Leading with Empathy.

Jonathan Smith, Head of Nursing – Urgent and Emergency Pathway & Acute Medicine was interviewed about our focus on the workforce, and I also understand that all areas across ED, Urgent Care and Acute Medical Units are now rated ‘green’ against our NAPF standards. This is brilliant. Well done to Jonathan and everyone involved.

Thankfully, NHS Staff are generally well-loved, appreciated and respected by our patients and indeed, society as a whole. Generally. Sadly though, there are still far too many occasions where staff are subject to violence and/or abuse as we go about our work. That is, quite simply, not on. We take the safety and dignity of our staff extremely seriously and I am glad to see that the government is now prioritising this and strengthening its resolve to tackle the issue.  Secretary of State Matt Hancock wrote to all NHS staff this week outlining the plans and you can see that here. However, as always, please ensure you report any, and all, incidents of abuse or violence so they can be dealt with. It is not part of our job to take such abuse, and we all deserve to be treated with respect.

Well, let’s hope there are no floods this weekend. Enjoy it, and if you are working, thank you.