I said I would update on three things in the blog this week and not one to ever, knowingly, go back on my word, I will.
But in a change to that expected schedule let me just start by mentioning that I went to the opening of the Trust’s new Simulation Suite on Ward 18 at Burnley General Teaching Hospital this week and was blown away by both the facility itself and the amazing team.
The suite is a huge boost to our training facilities and will enable us to create bespoke and immersive scenarios for colleagues here and in other organisations to master practical skills is an incredibly realistic way.
The suite has been supported through a grant from the charity Dinwoodie Charity and I want to publicly thank them for this support here.
Now, back to the three advertised updates.
The first is an update about the Trust’s results in the National NHS Staff Survey 2023 which were published yesterday, alongside those for every other NHS organisation in England.
Just under 4,400 people from the ELHT team provided their views on 118 questions last autumn, which is one of the largest of its kind in the world and provides a key performance indicator of staff experience and engagement in the NHS as a whole.
The data from the feedback each year helps Trusts across England compare with similar organisations and, where that is perceived to be better, learn from them, as well as tracking where things are improving or declining over years to make sure effective improvement plans are in place.
It would be remiss of me not to say a big thank you to everyone who took the time, amidst everything else going on across all settings and services in the Trust, to complete it. We simply cannot understand how it feels in the Trust without this input based on the authentic experience of colleagues.
As a general overview, compared to recent years ELHT scored significantly better in five questions, similar on about 80 and worse on 12 questions.
Of course, the team naturally gravitates to where our scores have declined, but I do want to acknowledge that to stay the same or improve in 85 areas is no mean feat in the current complex and challenging climate.
Within the results there are questions which relate directly to the ‘People Promise’ which outlines the NHS commitment to colleagues in the following nine areas – having a compassionate and inclusive culture, reward and recognition, employee voice, being safe and healthy, learning, working flexibly, being a team, staff engagement and morale.
ELHT scored above average for seven out of these nine themes when compared with similar Trusts and below average on just two, which were being a team and staff engagement.
To many who work in or with the Trust – and, indeed, patients and their families who were cared for by ELHT in 2023 – this won’t feel like the organisation we all know and love and I have referenced the inspiring team spirit that runs through ELHT many times in the past.
In my whole career, I can honestly say I have never felt a sense of family, belonging and being ‘in it together’ more so to score below others on being a team was a bit of a shock.
But we have to accept that 2023, on the back of 2020, 2021 and 2022, brought an incredible amount of big and difficult challenges that have impacted on the experience of colleagues.
These include of course our response to and subsequent recovery from the pandemic as well as the relentless focus on clearing the backlog of people on our waiting lists, but also the implementation of a new and complex Electronic Patient Record, the removal of crumbling concrete (RAAC) from our buildings and ongoing industrial action.
Of course, the unprecedented pressure on our urgent and emergency pathways continued through the year with the number of people attending for care seemingly building every day whilst, at the same time, a more aggressive focus on reducing budgets made it a very difficult time for everyone.
That’s not to make excuses, genuinely, but I would reflect that I have never worked or lived through a time like it – and I’ve been in the NHS for over 30 years.
There will be a huge amount of work that now goes on to understand in more detail where the experience of colleagues is different in different teams and how that translates directly to patient care, satisfaction and experience.
Supporting everyone to feel part of the Trust, equally, will be a key focus and this week I was proud to have marked and celebrated two things that will undoubtedly contribute to improvements.
The first is the launch of our Anti-Racism Charter which has been created with input from lots of people and is part of a wider focus called the Aarushi Project, which is really drilling down into the reality of equity, equality and racism in the Trust.
Before I go any further, let me acknowledge that to become anti-racist you have to first accept that there is racism present and not just within the most obviously unacceptable behaviours, but in the Trust’s systems and practices.
It feels uncomfortable for me as Chief Executive to even contemplate that some people are still treated unfairly because of their race – or gender, sexuality or any of the protected characteristics of equality – but it is the experience for some and only by facing up to this can we even begin to move on.
The charter includes 10 practical pledges we can all make to help us progress from simply being someone who is against racism to being actively and visibly anti-racist. The different is the proactive nature. Being anti-racist requires you to do something and speak up when you see or hear something that just isn’t right.
I am proud to be an ally for those who need support or a voice and I am mindful that racism leads to a range of tangible disadvantages including most notably in health care.
If you don’t recognise it, please educate yourself about the barriers others face on a day-to-day basis. The best advice I have heard is to listen, be curious and open to a different perspective to your own. From here you can make your own commitment and consider what you can do to change things or make a difference for others.
The first step might be to sign a pledge and please do read the charter in full here.
Today is also International Women’s Day, which is a moment that has grown in influence exponentially across the world in recent years and recognises, again, the different experiences of people aligns to elements other than simply who they are.
With a Trust team which is made up predominantly of women and a wife and step-daughter at home, it’s important to me that we celebrate this day as a Trust and in society.
Yesterday I know the Trust’s Women’s Network, which is led by Chair Uma Krishnamoorthy, held a conference with some really though provoking speakers and topics including sexual safety, safeguarding, career coaching in digital roles, menopause and mental health. It was hard hitting to hear the real life experience of colleagues who were brave enough to share their stories with the audience.
My thanks to everyone involved in organising this – if you work at ELHT and want to join the women’s – or any other colleague network – you can find out more about them here.
I’ll end by wishing you a happy International Women’s Day 2024 – and to everyone out there who predictably says ‘When is International Men’s Day?’ I refer you to my earlier point: please educate yourself about the barriers others face on a day-to-day basis. The best advice I have heard is to listen, be curious and open to a different perspective to your own.