Hello everyone, starting this blog takes me back to where we left off last week on the blog, as our urgent and emergency care services continue to face phenomenal pressures.
First and foremost, I want to recognise the remarkable efforts of the people that work across all the urgent and emergency care pathways. And for those colleagues that are tirelessly trying to address the ongoing issues in our Emergency Department, thank you. Your dedication is truly amazing. This was very much recognised when colleagues from the Care Quality Commission visited the Department on Wednesday. They saw good, compassionate care being delivered in difficult circumstances but, as ever, there will be areas highlighted where we can continue to improve.
Regrettably, as a consequence of these pressures, over the last couple of weeks, we've found ourselves caring for patients on the main hospital corridor, a situation none of us finds acceptable. Maintaining privacy and dignity in such extreme circumstances has proven challenging, and it's a position that really troubles me.
In response to these challenges, the Medicine and Elderly Care Division have been working to explore ways to address this issue. It never ceases to amaze me how our colleagues embody the spirit that there is always more that can be done to make a change, improve the situation and indeed some options are being developed.
It brings to mind the quote from Hannibal, the great Carthaginian commander, who, when told it was impossible to cross the Alps by elephant, replied with 'I will either find a way or make one.' Team ELHT epitomises this quote, consistently striving to find better ways to care for our patients and improve our services.
In addition, the prolonged period of industrial action from junior doctor colleagues has inevitably caused some disruption to our services. As I have said many times, I acknowledge the right of individuals to take industrial action following proper processes, but there's no denying that it affects our ability to provide some services to our patients. During the latest round of industrial action over 300 outpatient appointments and 40 elective/day cases had to be rescheduled.
Given the national drive to reduce elective waiting times, which we all acknowledge is the right thing to do, this adds a further challenge.
I extend my sincere thanks to our colleagues in the clinical and corporate divisions who have worked really hard to plan rotas and minimise the impact of the disruption on our patients. You are hugely appreciated.
Reflecting on the challenging landscape in which the NHS is operating our first Board meeting of 2024 took place on Wednesday. It provided a further opportunity to appreciate the remarkable colleagues working in all of our services. A great example of this is the team that provide our fantastic maternity services.
In April 2022, Donna Ockenden released her report and key actions to improve the care provided to mothers, babies and their families based on the issues identified in maternity services at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust. It is disappointing that a Care Quality Commission report published in October 2023, some 18 months later, stated that almost two-thirds of maternity units were providing substandard care.
ELHT takes great pride in the quality of our maternity services, with a positive CQC inspection last year highlighting outstanding practices. The Board receives an update on progress as a standing item. On Wednesday Tracey Thompson, Divisional Director of Midwifery and Nursing, and Martin Maher, Clinical Director of Neonatology, provided a comprehensive report on our position against the 10 safety actions required by the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts. I was delighted that we have assessed ourselves as ‘compliant’ against all 10, which is the product of a huge amount of work and is a further demonstration of our commitment to safety and improvement in maternity and neonatal services.
This report can be found in our board papers that are published here if you wanted to read in full and see the sea of green ratings against the 10 safety actions. Many congratulations to all involved in this great work.
Our Board meetings always start with a patient story, ranging from instances where patients and their families have had a great experience to examples where, frankly, things could have been better. These stories bring the patient, relatives, and carers into the room, providing valuable insights into the impact our colleagues and services have.
This month, we heard a bittersweet story of a patient receiving end-of-life care. I was immensely proud to learn how hospital and community nursing colleagues provided the best possible care and holistic support to both the patient and family. This story illustrated how we go beyond treating the physical ailments of our patients, extending to providing spiritual care and faith support.
The patient's daughter highlighted her mother's deep faith, emphasising the significance of the Imam's visit for spiritual comfort and mental preparation. The emotional comfort provided by community and hospice nurses was evident in the daily home visits, with the patient, despite the circumstances, always having a smile on her face. Touched by the spiritual care her mother received, the daughter raised a substantial amount of money for the Spiritual Centre in memory of her mother.
Generous donations like these have allowed us to enhance the Spiritual Care Centre at Burnley General Teaching Hospital. Our fabulous Spiritual Care Team supports individuals of all faiths and beliefs, helping them to find strength and meaning in their experiences of illness, anxiety, or bereavement. They are also there to support colleagues facing difficulties within their working lives.
In times of great pressure and stress – such as we are currently experiencing, patience can fray, and emotions can flare. It is crucial that we hold onto our values and behaviours, especially the gift of being kind and civil toward each other.
Even in these challenging times, I am in awe at how our colleagues are actively working to help and improve in any way they can. Remember, we are all human, and only by working together can we overcome the significant challenges we face. I think a great example of this is the ongoing work in our Laboratory where colleagues in the Blood Sciences service are working with our Improvement Team to address some very legitimate concerns and ensure that the service is as effective and efficient as possible, but also that colleagues have a better working life. Thank you to all involved in the ongoing work, I know there is still much to do.
I hope this blog at least goes some way to describe the breadth and myriad of challenges we face as a Trust, but also the great work that continues to take place day in and day out. Thank you for taking the time to read it.
Martin