Key themes from July Board meeting

Following last week’s Board meeting we’re sharing some of the main themes that were discussed. We’ll be doing this after each of our public board meetings which take place every two months.

Priorities for the new Chair

At his first Board meeting, our new chair Mrunal Sisodia outlined his priorities for the board as being:

• Staff and public engagement – which are both vital as we deliver an ambitious and extensive change programme for the Trust
• Engagement with our partners and systems to help improve the service to our patients and communities
• Continued focus on improving C2 response times through the operational improvement plan

A maternity patient and staff story

Kerrie Wykes, paramedic and midwife, presented a case in which one of our crews treated a woman who went into labour not realising she was pregnant and that it was a breech birth. The crew worked against the clock to deliver the baby safely and liaised really effectively with our critical care partners, shared decision making and used remote expert help to deliver the breech baby. You can watch the presentation via the link at the bottom of the article.

The Board is always keen to hear about how we are working to improve care of our patients and people. This was a great example of the outstanding care and teamwork that we all aspire to. The PPI Team is always looking for examples so please contact involvement@eastamb.nhs.uk if you have any examples that demonstrate high quality patient outcomes.

New NEDS

Three new non-executive board members have been recruited to replace those who have stood down. Catherine Glickman and George Lynn will join EEAST as non-executives while Chris Brook joins as an associate NED.

Trust performance

People
We have seen improvements in several important people and culture measures:

• Sickness levels have reduced to 7.43% - well below our target of 9.6%
• 92% of staff have completed their mandatory training – above our target of 85%
• 95% of staff have completed their information governance training
• Appraisal levels are continuing to improve at 73%

Thank you to everyone who has completed their mandatory and IG training. It’s an important part of keeping our patients and colleagues safe.

Performance
Our performance is improving with an increased number of calls being answered promptly. However, we are aware that handover delays continue to cause concern as well as impacting on the number of serious incidents.

Finance
The Trust’s finances are on course to break even. This has been challenging given the pressures on the Trust. It is encouraging news, but we need to continue to monitor our spending carefully.

Quality
We are continuing to carry out audits of all our stations. This process indicates that we need to tackle the amount of clutter at many of our stations so we are able to maintain high levels of cleanliness which helps us all keep safe.

Trust culture

EEAST has recently been named as one of the most improved trusts in relation to Freedom to Speak Up (FTSU). We also have the recommended number of FTSU ambassadors and the Board confirmed its continued focus on FTSU. Our newly recruited leadership development managers (3 out of 6 have been recruited) will work with FTSU to further develop a positive and transparent culture within EEAST.

Whilst this improvement shows we are making a difference through the work being completed, the Board recognised that there is still more for us to do. If you have a concern the routes for you to use are:

• Your line manager, if appropriate.
• Our Freedom to Speak Up Guardian through the designated, confidential email address FTSU@eastamb.nhs.uk You can also call our guardian on 07562 158013.
• The OCE email address

Remember one case is one case too many and we need to ensure that we feel safe to Speak Up, Speak Out, and Stop it.

A review of patient and public involvement is underway to give people a greater choice in how they can get involved with the Trust and help feedback public and patient views to the Trust.

Summary

Kerrie fed back that she felt that attending the Board meeting allowed her to recognise the links between what the Board is seeking to achieve and her work as a frontline paramedic.

Published 18th July 2023