Over the last couple of weeks it feels like we’ve delivered some big chunks of work that we have been talking about for a long time and have taken significant effort from everyone.
One is, of course, the implementation of our electronic patient record, which has never been far from our thoughts, conversations or worry list for a while, but is now live and people are starting to find their way around it. There are teething problems, which is inevitable when dealing with such a huge change to our way of working, but we mustn’t forget how far we have come in a very short space of time or row back from the idea that ‘go live’ was a huge success.
I’m very proud of everything that has been achieved, the determination from colleagues to stick with it even in frustrating moments and the recognition of the benefits it is already bringing is great to hear. Thank you so much for your perseverance… we will get there, I have no doubt.
Notably last week we also celebrated the NHS 75 anniversary – which was a much-needed Trust-wide celebration for everyone.
I loved it and made a point of getting out to see as many people as possible across the week, taking as many cakes and goodies as I could carry with me. I know between myself, the wider Trust Board, Executive Directors and senior leaders we got to most places... but if you didn’t see us, let me know and I’ll add you to the top of my list of places to call.
As part of that, I appreciated and enjoyed the guest blog from long-serving microbiologist Paul Haworth, who started work as a Junior Medical Laboratory Scientific Officer 47 years ago in 1976.
As Paul said, this was before we became East Lancashire Hospitals and his memories of being used as a guinea pig between colleagues and cultures – and well divided footballing lines – across the Burnley and Blackburn sites will have rung very true to lots of other people too.
It was the part about advancements in health and safety that got me – and the revelation that they used to cook breakfast in the hot air ovens or warm pies in the incubators!
These types of memories, the reminiscing about the ‘good old days’ and the fondness for ‘how it used to be’ is strong in any established institution and especially somewhere so steeped in history as the NHS. This was clear through the 75 stories we published each day in the run up to the anniversary – where amazing current and former colleagues, patients and local people shared their experiences, including some cracking old photos that are always great to see.
I want to say thank you to the communications team who worked so hard on this series, speaking to so many people and encouraging them to take part. I think there was a point where they regretted the idea but the final result was very powerful and worthwhile indeed.
Thanks to everyone who shared their stories too. Those personal reflections – as well as the hive of other activity in teams and in wards and community settings – made the week feel really special. Reminding us not only of who we used to be – but of everything we still are and hold close.
This spirit is what keeps us going when times are hard – and certainly, despite the celebrations and the successes, it remains a very difficult environment for everyone at ELHT.
This week we are again managing further disruption to services as junior doctors hold another period of industrial action over a dispute with the Government over pay. It started yesterday and will continue until Tuesday. This will then be followed by two days of industrial action next Thursday and Friday by consultant colleagues, who will take strike action for the first time ever on the same issue.
Let me reiterate again, the Trust completely respects the right of colleagues to take industrial action and we recognise that no one makes this decision easily.
But we cannot and should not pretend that, even with the vast amount of planning that goes on in preparation, it doesn’t have an impact on our services. You simply cannot take hundreds of critical colleagues out of a team and not expect it to have an impact.
Services will be reduced, waits will be longer and some treatment and appointments will have to be rescheduled or cancelled, often at short notice as every possible alternative is explored.
We also have to prioritise emergency and critical care treatment, neonatal care and trauma, as well as patients who have waited the longest for elective care and cancer surgery. This puts pressure on other areas of the Trust equally.
To this point, I want to share how incredibly busy our urgent and emergency care pathway has been leading up to the strikes and for some time now. The simple truth is that we are breaking records for the numbers attending for urgent or emergency treatment with alarming regularity and in a protracted way that we have never seen before.
Once upon a time, 700 people coming through the front door in one day would have been very much out of the ordinary, now it seems to be the new norm and we are working hard to adjust and keep up, but it really isn’t easy for anyone – including staff and patients and their families.
Of course, if you have a life or limb threatening emergency you should come in, but it would be remiss of me not to also remind people that if you have less immediate health needs, please use the NHS 111 service or try your local GP or pharmacy, who can often guide you to a more appropriate place for care.
Your support on this is invaluable. The immense effort of every member of the team – in urgent and emergency care, across all inpatient settings and community teams, as well as colleagues in corporate or support roles – cannot be underestimated and anything you can do to help relieve the pressure is welcome.
Before I finish, I want to mention a couple of other important things that have happened this week.
You might have seen ELHT’s former Chief Executive Kevin McGee (who moved to Lancashire Teaching Hospitals a couple of years ago) has announced he is leaving the NHS after 38 years. I just wanted to say that I appreciated and benefitted from Kevin’s expertise, experience and knowledge and, more recently, I enjoyed working with him as part of the wider Lancashire and South Cumbria healthcare system, where he has continued to be a valued friend and colleague.
I want to thank him for everything he has done - for me personally and for the NHS as a whole, but particularly in connection to his time in East Lancashire where he did so much for patients and their families. I speak on behalf of everyone at the Trust when I say thanks Kevin – and good luck.
Lastly a quick update in relation to another friend and colleague at ELHT, who we lost to cancer late last year. Jonathon Priestley – or JP as he was better known – was one of the nicest people you could ever meet and we miss him massively around the Trust.
He had planned to do the Manchester to Blackpool bike ride for our charity ELHT&Me himself and so a team of 19 of us did it on Sunday in his memory. The journey is about 60-miles in total – and JP’s presence was felt every pedal of the way, his spirit inspiring us to push beyond our limits.
We not only completed the 60-mile challenge but we also created a lasting tribute to a remarkable individual and I hope we did him proud.
Thanks to everyone who joined us on the day or supported us with donations – it is much appreciated. If you would like to donate visit the JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/JPspiritoftheblues
Martin