Need to know
For #TeamEEAST Last updated: 18 May 2024 at 08:42
Industrial action and extra UEC funding
As you will have seen, EEAST colleagues within the GMB union have voted to move forward with industrial action over the national pay issue and we now know that the next GMB strikes are scheduled for 6th and 20th March. Unison have also confirmed that votes from their members now meet the threshold and their industrial action will take place on 8th and 20th March.
As the Executive lead for the planning around industrial action, I have been closely involved in the work to ensure that we have an appropriate response in place to manage demand on these days. Last week, Melissa circulated a form asking you to share with us any additional skills which we may be able to call upon at times of significant pressure and we have already received over 150 responses.
There is no obligation to offer support in this way, but it helps us to plan and prepare if we understand the resilience we have amongst our own people. Managers are aware that we are asking for this information and are aware that should the need arise, they will be asked to release members of their team for a short time. Please consider sharing your additional skills with us, you can find the form here.
We are working with our partners in the system to identify any necessary changes we will need to make on the days themselves, particularly within our EOC’s. We are also reviewing the possibility of upskilling members of our own staff and considering the role that volunteers, CFRs and our private ambulance colleagues could play in providing support.
Being the last Trust to commit to industrial action does mean that we are able to learn from the way other trusts around the country have already handled industrial action in their own areas which is hugely beneficial.
£30 million boost
As part of the national plan to tackle the issues in urgent and emergency care, NHSE have provided £200 million of funding, and I’m pleased to say we have been given the opportunity to bid for £30 million of that here at EEAST.
We have been creating a proposal which outlines how we would like to invest the money and a large chunk of this will go towards recruiting and training an additional 270 frontline staff and continuing our recruitment for EOC roles.
The funding will help us to meet an extended Hear and Treat target and will also give us the capability to start looking at C2 calls, with the possibility of prioritising them further in terms of severity. Alongside this, as Tom mentioned last week, we will be continuing to review and develop alternative patient pathways, building on our Access to the Stack work and Make Ready function and further developing our co-responding with the Fire Service.
Another portion of the money will be used to bolster the work we are doing across the Trust to reduce both our current sickness rates and the number of outstanding ER cases we are dealing with. Although much work is already being done in both these areas, a significant investment like this means we can expedite that progress more quickly.
Fit for the Future QI podcast and blog
We’ve been talking about the introduction of paperless payslips for a few weeks now, and Marika Stephenson, our Executive Director of People Services, has written a short blog on the topic with more information about the project and how you can register for ESR if you haven’t yet done so.
The latest Fit for the Future podcast is also now available for you to listen to on Need to Know. This edition focuses on Quality Improvement, what it means for the Trust, examples of key QI projects in the organisation and how you can get involved by sharing your own ideas for improvement at EEAST.
International Women’s Day
You can now book your place at this year’s International Women’s Day event, which we are co-hosting with Essex Police and Essex Fire and Rescue Service on Wednesday 8th March at Kelvedon Park in Essex.
The event itself will run from 9.30am to 4.15pm and will feature speakers and discussions around domestic abuse, menopause and gender stereotypes as well as many other topics. Places are limited to 100 people across all services, but there is also the option to join the event online. You can find more details about the event and the link to book your ticket here.
Trust-wide Q&A briefings
This week we’ll be holding the fortnightly Trust-wide Q&A session. Please remind your teams and colleagues and do join the discussion at 4pm on Thursday if you are able. If you miss it, then a quick reminder that you can catch up with everything you missed the following week when we publish a recording of the briefing on Need to Know.
Thank you Thursday
"The crew attended to me and made me feel calm and at ease as soon as they arrived. They supported myself and my partner on my journey to hospital and made the transition into A&E smooth and stress free. I am so grateful to the help and support they provided to me when I was feeling at my very worst".
Thanks for all that you do,
Kevin Smith
Director of Finance
IMPORTANT TRUST NEWS FOR CASCADE
Published 23rd February 2023