Hello,
I am sure most of you know me by now, but for those of you who don’t, my name is Martin Hodgson and I am immensely proud to be writing this blog as your new Interim Chief Executive.
This isn’t my first blog, in fact I’ve written quite a few guest blogs and also in my capacity as Deputy Chief Executive. But this my first blog of a new era for ELHT.
So, perhaps I should provide a short recap of my ELHT story so far. Since joining the Trust in 2009 as Director of Service Development, I have been involved in the development of vascular, urology and stroke services across Lancashire and South Cumbria. I have also taken a lead role in the development of clinical services with partners across both the Pennine Lancashire and wider Lancashire and South Cumbria footprints.
In November 2019, I was appointed as Deputy Chief Executive, watching over the day to day running of the Trust whilst Kevin fulfilled his role of Accountable Officer across ELHT and Blackpool Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust.
As you can imagine, I have seen a lot of changes at ELHT over the years and it is that adaptability which, in my opinion, has really strengthened the ELHT family to make it the amazing organisation it is today. Despite the many challenges we have faced, not least the Covid-19 pandemic, we are consistently viewed as a good and performing organisation. That is all credit to the hard work and dedication of the ELHT workforce and I really want to thank everyone at the Trust for that, both within the hospital setting and those working in the community.
So, what are my immediate priorities as Interim Chief Executive?
It is widely reported that the NHS as a whole has been facing immense pressure for some time and ELHT is not immune to that. I do hate to say it, but we are now looking towards winter and the unique set of problems that the season brings. But with excellent preparation, which we can do in a number of ways, I am confident that we will be able to manage it well.
We are already looking at our pathways to create better patient flow and maximise on our capacity to put us in a stronger position to manage any unexpected or anticipated surges.
I’d like to make an early plea to colleagues and the public. Please help us to help you by taking up the flu and covid vaccinations when you are offered them. You can also help our emergency care colleagues by choosing the right service, at the right time in the right place for your health care needs. (you can find a brief overview to help you with this on our website here).
Managing our staffing levels has been incredibly difficult over recent weeks. There are a number of contributing factors for this, not least the well-known national shortage of nurses and speciality doctors. Like many families, our colleagues and their loved ones have succumbed to covid, alongside sudden sickness, and other health conditions and illnesses. We are doing all we can to help and support those colleagues and together with those colleagues working hard to deliver safe, personal and effective care. Only recently we successfully recruited a hundred Healthcare Assistants who will be vital to keeping our wards working smoothly. We also hope that the launch of our Flexible Working Manifesto will attract more people to join our workforce permanently. I am a great believer that flexible working is more than just retention. It can unlock new opportunities and contribute to people’s mental health, wellbeing and engagement with their role.
Recruiting and retaining excellent people is something that I am extremely passionate about, so one of the first things I want to do in my new role is to find out how colleagues are really feeling. The last 18 months have taken their toll on the organisation, teams and individuals. We need to know what we can do to make everyone’s working lives better which is why I will be encouraging all colleagues to complete their annual staff survey when it is launched in a few weeks time. This gives each individual the opportunity to let me know what is good about working for the Trust and what we can do to improve. There is also a dedicated wellbeing section this year to take into account the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
I know that everyone is still exhausted. We are encouraging everyone to take their annual leave, but the demands on our services have not gone away. At an extremely busy time that is traditionally quiet, we are doing our utmost to see an unusually high number of people attending via our emergency pathways whilst also trying to reduce the back-log that built up due to the pandemic. I want to thank everyone for their continued efforts on this and urge anyone who is invited to attend for treatment to make every effort to do so. All of our infection prevention and control measures remain in place to maintain the safety of our patients and our teams.
ELHT is an organisation that puts our patients at the heart of everything we do and I know all colleagues here are one hundred percent committed to that. I am also extremely keen to continue the amazing work that is being carried out to make sure all our services and employment practices are fair, accessible, inclusive and appropriate for everyone.
However, the Trust cannot solve issues such as staffing, resources and health inequalities in isolation. We must face these matters as an extended team across the system. It is certainly an exciting time to be taking on this role when we can really serve the community and promote positive change through collaborative working.
Therefore, probably the biggest thing going forward is how we continue to deliver at an organisational level but also contribute to the development of the Lancashire and South Cumbria Health and Care Partnership and the Provider Collaboration.
The emerging system will be a very different way of working and I’m sure the skills and talent we have in ELHT will be recognised and colleagues will contribute to the development of the new structures and how we work together. It is essential that ELHT are very much involved in this work and I feel positive about the opportunities and benefits that this will bring to our workforce and our communities.
So, that’s my first thoughts as Interim Chief Executive. I look forward to continuing to work with you as we provide safe, personal and effective care together.
Until next time, take care.
Martin