Celebrating our fantastic air ambulance charities and a rematch like no other: update from CEO Robert Morton (22nd September)

Robert Morton, CEO

Earlier this week, Chair Sarah Boulton and I welcomed Peter Wyman, Chair of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), who wanted to learn more about how the service works.

Sarah gave Peter a tour around the facilities and fleet at the HART base in Melbourn and discussed the capabilities of the service and the problems we face. Peter also spent some time with Quality Improvement & Professional Standards Lead, Lewis Andrews at Bedford South Wing Hospital, meeting the HALOs and learning about the ways we work together with staff to alleviate the system’s pressures. Peter also met Senior Locality Manager Clive Goodson and the team at Kempston and had a tour around Bedford EOC. It was good to welcome Peter and I hope the visit gave him an understanding of the Trust.

This week it’s National Air Ambulance Week, highlighting and raising awareness of the fantastic work the charities do. We have a special relationship with the air ambulance and critical care charities in our region and the week not only celebrates the staff and their work but will hopefully raise some much needed funds. You can get involved and kept up to date with all the celebrations by following #NAAW16.

Following an invitation from Kevin, NES UNISON Rep, I got the chance this week to spend some time with patient transport service (PTS) colleagues in Huntingdon and get a look at the inner workings of the new contract that we have started earlier this month. As mentioned in my last Need to Know message, PTS has seen some big changes over the last few months with new contracts, new services and new staff. Thank you to Andrew Houghton for facilitating my time there.  I was duly put to work by Andrew and did some jobs with John and Lesley. It was great to see the care and compassion that PTS colleagues deliver to our patients and the way they advocate on behalf of patients whom are connecting with the hospital system. I was also able to hear about some of their concerns such as access to C1 driver training and their experiences of the new vehicles. I will take their feedback to relevant colleagues to ensure lessons are embedded for the future.  

On Monday (26th September), I will be attending the grand opening of Southend station. The team relocated from the old site in April after the building lease expired and have never looked back! The new station is larger and fit-for-purpose and includes a training room that can accommodate a larger number of students.  We have a mixture of dignitaries attending such as the Lord Lieutenant of Essex, the Mayor of Southend, and colleagues from Healthwatch, Southend University Hospital and our Trust User Group (TUG). Members of Southend leadership team will also be there. I look forward to welcoming everyone officially and seeing how the team is getting on in their new(ish) home.

And finally, the rematch of a seven-a-side football game after work is taking place on Wednesday, 5th October. After a respectable 3-3 result in the last game, I am sure both sides will step up the psychological tactics in the build up to the match, as well as their ‘game faces’. This time the clinical team takes on the ‘rest of the world’ so if you would like to join a team for a rematch like no other, please email Taya Cleghorn.

Hope you all have a good week.

Robert

Published 22nd September, 2016

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