Excellent team working and fantastic Finnbar500 cross the finish line: Update from CEO Robert Morton

Robert left side in cab smiling   web

Despite heading into September, the temperature is still soaring. The good weather is very welcome, but that brings its own workload challenges and the service continues to go through a very busy period. Thank you to everyone who is working extra hard to cover the extra activity we are experiencing.

August was another extraordinary month for our EOC colleagues who have demonstrated once again that we are at the top of the league for the national call pick up standard. I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who contributed to this and of course for the continued hard work of the teams themselves.

At the beginning of this month, the new patient transport services (PTS) contract successfully began in Cambridgeshire, and the start of the contract also saw our patient eligibility screening service in Norwich and Cambridgeshire expand, where patients will now be assessed against eligibility criteria. Both PTS and fleet teams have been very busy recruiting new control room staff, ambulance care assistants, and buying new vehicles, without losing efficiency to patient transport. Well done to everyone involved. I hope to drop by in the coming weeks and see for myself the good work that is being done.

Our contract work still continues, where we essentially bid to provide certain healthcare services. Our urgent and scheduled care bid team has been very busy and completed a lot of work preparing EEAST to bid for some significant 111 and GP out-of-hours contracts. I will keep you updated as these bids progress.

Over the last week, I have been meeting with colleagues from Norfolk Police and Peterborough Hospital about working together to provide the best care for patients.  I had the opportunity to discuss a blue light collaboration with Simon Bailey, the Chief Constable of Norfolk Police, and look at how we can work together for the benefit of rural communities in Norfolk. This will be an important area of work the Trust in 2017/18 and we look forward to working with Simon and the rest of the team. I also met with Stephen Graves, CEO of Peterborough Hospital to discuss the mutual challenges we face in terms of demand for our services and handover delays for our crews.  The team in Peterborough are committed to improving handover delays and are currently reviewing patient flow in the ED.

Later this month will see the grand opening of Southend station.  I will be attending and am excited to see how colleagues are getting on in this new larger and fit-for-purpose premises.

On the horizon, our Restart a Heart Day will be taking place next month (18th October), where the focus will be on teaching children how to give CPR. The national awareness day will see our community collaboration team and many of our community first responders involved, teaching hundreds of school children CPR on the day. This is a great opportunity for others to volunteer if you like to. You can still contact Community Collaboration Manager, Wendy Risdale-Barrs to register your interest in taking part.

Finally, I would like to say congratulations to our fantastic Finnbar500 team who crossed the finished line of their 500-mile ride. This incredible team of riders finished their mammoth cycle from Cork to Norwich at the weekend to raise money in memory of Finnbar Cork. It’s also great to hear the overwhelming support from colleagues of the central Norfolk teams at the finish line.  It’s such an amazing achievement and I am humbled by the team’s achievement to complete their journey in memory of such a brave little fellow.

Published 15th September, 2016

Have a good week,

Robert

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