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Nourishing fluids - patient information
Description
If your appetite is poor, nourishing fluids are a good way to add extra calories and protein into your diet. This
Url
/Media/UHS-website-2019/Patientinformation/Medicinestherapiesandanaesthetics/Nourishing-fluids-2392-PIL.pdf
Recipe book - For babies who need to make the most of every mouthful
Description
RECIPE BOOK For babies who need to get the most out of every mouthful Contents 04 06 11 14 15 16 18 20 22 Acknowled
Url
/Media/UHS-website-2019/Docs/Services/Child-health/DietaryAdvice/Recipe-book-For-babies-who-need-to-make-the-most-of-every-mouthful.pdf
Papers Trust Board - 10 March 2026
Description
Date Time Location Chair Apologies Agenda Trust Board – Open Session 10/03/2026 9:00 - 13:00 Conference Room, Heartbeat Education
Url
/Media/UHS-website-2019/Docs/About-the-Trust/Trust-governance-and-corporate-docs/2026-Trust-documents/Papers-Trust-Board-10-March-2026.pdf
Your medication after the birth of your baby - patient information
Description
A guide to your medication after the birth of your baby.
Url
/Media/UHS-website-2019/Patientinformation/Pregnancyandbirth/Your-medication-after-the-birth-of-your-baby.pdf
Symptom and consequence: not interchangeable
Description
A court considers whether a patient with fluctuating capacity should be compelled to have haemodialysis at times when he refuses it
Url
/HealthProfessionals/Clinical-law-updates/Symptom-and-consequence-not-interchangeable.aspx
Papers Trust Board - 25 July 2024
Description
Agenda Trust Board – Open Session Date 25/07/2024 Time 9:00 - 13:00 Location Anaesthetic Seminar Room (CE95/99), E Leve
Url
/Media/UHS-website-2019/Docs/About-the-Trust/Trust-governance-and-corporate-docs/2024-Trust-documents/Papers-Trust-Board-25-July-2024.pdf
Papers Trust Board - 9 September 2025
Description
Date Time Location Chair Apologies Agenda Trust Board – Open Session 09/09/2025 9:00 - 13:00 Conference Room, Heartbeat Education Ce
Url
/Media/UHS-website-2019/Docs/About-the-Trust/Trust-governance-and-corporate-docs/2025-Trust-documents/Papers-Trust-Board-9-September-2025.pdf
Papers Trust Board - 13 May 2025
Description
Agenda Trust Board – Open Session Date Time Location Chair Apologies In attendance 13/05/2025 9:00 - 13:00 Conference Room
Url
/Media/UHS-website-2019/Docs/About-the-Trust/Trust-governance-and-corporate-docs/2025-Trust-documents/Papers-Trust-Board-13-May-2025.pdf
Papers Trust Board - 7 January 2025
Description
Date Time Location Chair Observing Agenda Trust Board – Open Session 07/01/2025 9:00 - 13:00 Conference Room, Heartbeat/Microsoft Teams Jenni Douglas-Todd Fatemeh Jenabi, Specialty Registrar (shadowing Joe Teape) 1 Chair’s Welcome, Apologies and Declarations of Interest 9:00 Note apologies for absence, and to hear any declarations of interest relating to any item on the Agenda. 2 Patient Story The patient story provides an opportunity for the Board to reflect on the experiences of patients and staff within the Trust and understand what the Trust could do better. 3 Minutes of Previous Meeting held on 5 November 2024 9:15 Approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on 5 November 2024 4 Matters Arising and Summary of Agreed Actions To discuss any matters arising from the minutes, and to agree on the status of any actions assigned at the previous meeting. 5 QUALITY, PERFORMANCE and FINANCE Quality includes: clinical effectiveness, patient safety, and patient experience 5.1 Briefing from the Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee 9:20 Dave Bennett, Chair 5.2 Briefing from the Chair of the People and Organisational Development 9:25 Committee Jane Harwood, Chair 5.3 Briefing from the Chair of the Quality Committee 9:30 Tim Peachey, Chair including Maternity and Neonatal Safety 2024-25 Quarter 2 Report 5.4 Chief Executive Officer's Report 9:40 Receive and note the report Sponsor: David French, Chief Executive Officer 5.5 Performance KPI Report for Month 8 10:00 Review and discuss the report Sponsor: David French, Chief Executive Officer 5.6 Break 10:35 5.7 Finance Report for Month 8 10:45 Review and discuss the report Sponsor: Ian Howard, Chief Financial Officer 5.8 ICB Finance Report for Month 8 10:55 Receive and discuss the report Sponsor: David French, Chief Executive Officer 5.9 People Report for Month 8 11:05 Review and discuss the report Sponsor: Steve Harris, Chief People Officer 5.10 Freedom to Speak Up Report 11:15 Review and discuss the report Sponsor: Gail Byrne, Chief Nursing Officer Attendee: Christine Mbabazi, Equality & Inclusion Adviser/Freedom to Speak Up Guardian 5.11 Guardian of Safe Working Hours Quarterly Report 11:25 Receive and discuss the report Sponsor: Paul Grundy, Chief Medical Officer Attendee: Diana Hulbert, Guardian of Safe Working Hours and Emergency Department Consultant 5.12 Learning from Deaths 2024-25 Quarter 2 Report 11:35 Review and discuss the report Sponsor: Paul Grundy, Chief Medical Officer Attendees: Natasha Watts, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer/Jenny Milner, Associate Director of Patient Experience 5.13 Infection Prevention and Control 2024-25 Quarter 2 Report 11:45 Review and discuss the report Sponsor: Gail Byrne, Chief Nursing Officer Attendees: Julian Sutton, Lead Infection Control Director/Julie Brooks, Deputy Director of Infection Prevention & Control 5.14 Annual Medicines Management 2023-24 Report 11:55 Receive and discuss the report Sponsor: Paul Grundy, Chief Medical Officer Attendee: James Allen, Chief Pharmacist 5.15 Annual Ward Staffing Nursing Establishment Review 2024 12:05 Discuss and approve the review Sponsor: Gail Byrne, Chief Nursing Officer Attendee: Rosemary Chable, Head of Nursing for Education, Practice and Staffing Page 2 6 STRATEGY and BUSINESS PLANNING 6.1 Board Assurance Framework (BAF) Update 12:15 Review and discuss the update Sponsor: Gail Byrne, Chief Nursing Officer Attendees: Craig Machell, Associate Director of Corporate Affairs and Company Secretary/Lauren Anderson, Corporate Governance and Risk Manager 7 CORPORATE GOVERNANCE, RISK and INTERNAL CONTROL 7.1 Annual Assurance for the NHS England Core Standards for Emergency 12:25 Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPRR) Review and discuss the report Sponsor: Joe Teape, Chief Operating Officer Attendees: John Mcgonigle, Emergency Planning & Resilience Manager/ Danielle Sinclair, Deputy Emergency Planner 7.2 Register of Seals and Chair's Actions Report 12:30 Receive and ratify In compliance with the Trust Standing Orders, Financial Instructions, and the Scheme of Reservation and Delegation. Sponsor: Jenni Douglas-Todd, Trust Chair 8 Any other business 12:35 Raise any relevant or urgent matters that are not on the agenda 9 Note the date of the next meeting: 11 March 2025 10 Resolution regarding the Press, Public and Others Sponsor: Jenni Douglas-Todd, Trust Chair To agree, as permitted by the National Health Service Act 2006 (as amended), the Trust's Constitution and the Standing Orders of the Board of Directors, that representatives of the press, members of the public and others not invited to attend to the next part of the meeting be excluded due to the confidential nature of the business to be transacted. 11 Follow-up discussion with governors 12:45 Page 3 Agenda links to the Board Assurance Framework (BAF) 7 January 2025 – Open Session Overview of the BAF Risk 1a: Lack of capacity to appropriately respond to emergency demand, manage the increasing waiting lists for elective demand, and provide timely diagnostics, that results in avoidable harm to patients. 1b: Due to the current challenges, we fail to provide patients and their families / carers with a high-quality experience of care and positive patient outcomes. 1c: We do not effectively plan for and implement infection prevention and control measures that reduce the number of hospital-acquired infections and limit the number of nosocomial outbreaks of infection. 2a: We do not take full advantage of our position as a leading University teaching hospital with a growing, reputable, and innovative research and development portfolio, attracting the best staff and efficiently delivering the best possible treatments and care for our patients. 3a: We are unable to meet current and planned service requirements due to the unavailability of staff to fulfil key roles. 3b: We fail to develop a diverse, compassionate, and inclusive workforce, providing a more positive staff experience for all staff. 3c: We fail to create a sustainable and innovative education and development response to meet the current and future workforce needs identified in the Trust’s longer-term workforce plan. 4a: We do not implement effective models to deliver integrated and networked care, resulting in sub-optimal patient experience and outcomes, increased numbers of admissions and increases in patients’ length of stay. 5a: We are unable to deliver a financial breakeven position, resulting in: inability to move out of the NHS England Recovery Support Programme, NHS England imposing additional controls/undertakings, and a reducing cash balance impacting the Trust’s ability to invest in line with its capital plan, estates/digital strategies, and in transformation initiatives. 5b: We do not adequately maintain, improve and develop our estate to deliver our clinical services and increase capacity. 5c: Our digital technology or infrastructure fails to the extent that it impacts our ability to deliver care effectively and safely within the organisation, 5d: We fail to prioritise green initiatives to deliver a trajectory that will reduce our direct and indirect carbon footprint by 80% by 2028-2032 (compared with a 1990 baseline) and reach net zero direct carbon emissions by 2040 and net zero indirect carbon emissions by 2045. Agenda links to the BAF No Item Linked BAF risk(s) 5.5 Performance KPI Report for Month 8 5.7 Finance Report for Month 8 5.8 ICB Finance Report for Month 8 5.9 People Report for Month 8 5.10 Freedom to Speak Up Report 5.11 Guardian of Safe Working Hours Quarterly Report 5.12 Learning from Deaths 2024-25 Quarter 2 Report 5.13 Infection Prevention Control 2024-25 Quarter 2 Report 5.14 Annual Medicines Management 2023-24 Report 5.15 Annual Ward Staffing Nursing Establishment Review 2024 7.1 Annual Assurance for the NHS England Core Standards for Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPPR) 1a, 1b, 1c 5a 5a 3a, 3b, 3c 3b 3a, 3b 1b 1c All 1b, 3a 1a, 3a, 5b, 5c Appetite (Category) Minimal (Safety) Current risk rating 4x5 20 Cautious (Experience) Minimal (Safety) 3x3 9 4x4 16 Open (Technology & Innovation) 3x3 9 Open (workforce) Open (workforce) Open (workforce) 4x5 20 4 x3 12 4x3 12 Cautious (Effectiveness) 3x3 9 Cautious (Finance) 3x5 15 Target risk rating 4 x 2 Apr 6 27 3 x 2 Mar 6 26 2 x 3 Apr 6 27 3 x 2 Mar 6 25 4 x 3 Mar 12 26 4 x 2 Mar 8 27 3 x 2 Mar 6 25 3 x 2 Apr 6 25 3 x 3 Apr 9 25 Cautious (Effectiveness) Open (Technology & Innovation) Open (Technology & Innovation) 4x5 20 3x4 12 2x3 6 4 x 2 Apr 8 27 3 x 2 Apr 6 27 2 x 2 Dec 4 24 Does this item facilitate movement towards or away from the intended target risk score and appetite? Towards Away Neither x x x x x x x x x x x Minutes Trust Board – Open Session Date 05/11/2024 Time 9:00 – 11:30 Location The Ark Conference Centre, HHFT/Microsoft Teams Chair Jenni Douglas-Todd (JD-T) Present Dave Bennett, NED (DB) Gail Byrne, Chief Nursing Officer (GB) Keith Evans, Deputy Chair and NED (KE) David French, Chief Executive Officer (DAF) Paul Grundy, Chief Medical Officer (PG) Steve Harris, Chief People Officer (SH) Jane Harwood, NED/Senior Independent Director (JH) Ian Howard, Chief Financial Officer (IH) Tim Peachey, NED (TP) Joe Teape, Chief Operating Officer (JT) Alison Tattersall, NED (AT) In attendance Martin De Sousa, Director of Strategy and Partnerships (MDeS) (item 5.1) Craig Machell, Associate Director of Corporate Affairs and Company Secretary (CM) Ali Keen, Head of Cancer Nursing (AK) (item 4.11) Kelly Kent, Head of Strategy and Partnerships (KK) (item 5.1) 4 governors (observing) 2 members of staff (observing) 2 members of the public (observing) Apologies Diana Eccles, NED (DE) 1. Chair’s Welcome, Apologies and Declarations of Interest The Chair welcomed attendees to the meeting. There were no interests to declare in the business to be transacted at the meeting. It was noted that apologies had been received from Diana Eccles. The Chair provided an overview of her activities since September 2024, including visits to hospital departments, meetings with peers and other key stakeholders. 2. Minutes of the Previous Meeting held on 10 September 2024 The draft minutes tabled to the meeting were agreed to be an accurate record of the meeting held on 10 September 2024. 3. Matters Arising and Summary of Agreed Actions In respect of action 1175, it was noted that there had been an increase in the number of incidents of delays in giving of medication or pain relief, missed symptoms, and insufficient staffing numbers. However, in part the increase in numbers of incidents was considered to be due to efforts to encourage reporting of such incidents, and the situation had improved more recently. It was agreed to close this action. Page 1 It was noted that there were no other matters arising or overdue actions. 4. QUALITY, PERFORMANCE and FINANCE 4.1 Briefing from the Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee The chair of the Audit and Risk Committee was invited to present the Committee Chair’s Report in respect of the meeting held on 14 October 2024, the content of which was noted. It was further noted that: • The committee reviewed the lessons learned from the 2023/24 annual accounts, and noted that the issues encountered should be resolved in time for the 2024/25 accounts due, largely, to the implementation of a new finance system. • The committee also received a report in respect of the risk of impersonation fraud for bank/agency staff and the procedures that had been put in place to mitigate this risk. 4.2 Briefing from the Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee The chair of the Finance and Investment Committee was invited to present the Committee Chair’s Report in respect of the meeting held on 21 October 2024, the content of which was noted. It was further noted that: • The committee had reviewed the Finance Report for Month 6 (item 4.7) and discussed the Trust’s re-commitment to its 2024/25 plan in support of its request for deficit support funding from NHS England. • The position in respect of cash was challenging and the committee discussed what the Trust should do in the final quarter of 2024/25. It was noted that the rules on when and how much cash support could be requested were somewhat unclear. • The committee discussed a potential expansion of the activities of UHS Pharmacy Limited, although it was subsequently noted that the specific potential opportunity had since failed to materialise. • The committee also discussed the Trust’s financial recovery programme. 4.3 Briefing from the Chair of the People and Organisational Development Committee The chair of the People and Organisational Development Committee was invited to present the Committee Chair’s Report in respect of the meeting held on 21 October 2024, the content of which was noted. It was further noted that: • The Trust had been below its plan in terms of whole-time-equivalent (WTE) numbers, although this position would change from October 2024 onward due to the onboarding of newly qualified nurses and the failure of the Integrated Care System transformation plans to deliver in terms of reduction in patients having no criteria to reside and mental health support. • The committee noted the cumulative impact on staff of having to balance staff numbers, performance, and patient experience. • Whilst noting that the annual appraisal rate remained low, it was suspected that more appraisals than recorded had taken place, but that these had not been recorded on the Electronic Staff Record. 4.4 Briefing from the Chair of the Quality Committee The chair of the Quality Committee was invited to present the Committee Chair’s Report in respect of the meeting held on 14 October 2024, the content of which was noted. It was further noted that: Page 2 • Patients’ access to a rehabilitation and recovery service during and after intensive care unit (ICU) admission was limited due to a lack of service provision. The Trust was non-compliant with national guidance in this area. • Due to resource constraints the Trust was unable to systematically roll out the National Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures (NatSSIPS) 2. However, it was noted that a solution to this issue was being considered. • There had been no significant improvement in terms of the Trust’s system partners in respect of supporting the Trust with mental health admissions. • The committee also reviewed the Maternity and Neonatal Safety Report, based on data available at September 2024, and including the NHS Resolution Maternity Incentive Scheme Year 6 progress update, the local response to the Care Quality Commission’s National Report Review of Maternity Services in England 2022-2024, and the Antenatal and Newborn Screening Annual Report 2023/24. 4.5 Chief Executive Officer’s Report David French was invited to present the Chief Executive Officer’s Report, the content of which was noted. It was further noted that: • Whilst the commitment in the Autumn Statement to additional funding for the NHS was welcomed, it was unclear at this stage what this additional funding will mean in practice and how it would be allocated. • There had been recent media coverage of the Trust’s ongoing dispute with its porters following a press release by the UNITE union. • Arbitration proceedings were expected to commence in respect of a long- running dispute with BAM Construction relating to the construction of the east wing annex building. • Significant changes in employment legislation were anticipated between now and 2026, although, due to the nature of employment conditions in the NHS, it was not anticipated that these changes would have a significant impact on the Trust. • The new combined community provider, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was launched on 1 October 2024. • A meeting had been held with the now independent hospital charity to discuss priorities over the medium term. • The national NHS staff survey had launched on 20 September 2024 and would run until 28 November 2024. It was noted that the participation rate thus far had been below that seen in previous years. • The Trust’s quality and patient safety partners programme had won the ‘Patient Involvement in Safety’ award at the Health Service Journal’s Patient Safety Awards on 16 September 2024. • There was a concern that the Government’s intended 10-Year Plan for the NHS, which was expected to redirect focus on prevention and community healthcare, could result in an immediate loss of funding for acute providers, i.e. before the longer-term preventative measures had had an opportunity to take effect. 4.6 Performance KPI Report for Month 6 Joe Teape was invited to present the Performance KPI Report for Month 6, the content of which was noted. It was further noted that: • The Trust’s overall performance was good compared to other teaching hospitals. In August 2024, the Trust was first for its 65-week wait performance, and second for the 60-day cancer metric. Page 3 • The month of October was proving to be challenging with increased bed occupancy and surge capacity having to be opened. Type 1 Emergency Department attendance was over 400 per day. • Whilst there had been improvements in the length of stay, the impact of this had largely been negated by the high demand being experienced. • The ‘W-45’ initiative was to be implemented at the end of November 2024, whereby ambulances would automatically hand over patients to emergency departments after 45 minutes. It was noted that this policy would potentially put strain the relationship between the Emergency Department and the South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS). • It was noted that there were potential issues with the data presented in terms of the number of virtual appointments and use of MyMedicalRecord. The Board discussed the high levels of attendance in the Emergency Department. It was noted that: • The Trust’s winter plans did not assume 400 attendances per day. • Attendances were typically of higher acuity, and did not appear to be as a result of patients being unable to access GP services. • The Trust had a number of projects underway in order to direct patients to alternative routes into the hospital, such as through the Same-Day Emergency Care service. • The importance of ensuring the wellbeing of staff during such a period of sustained demand was also noted. • In addition, the Trust had requested funding for GPs in the Emergency Department as had occurred in previous years as a means of reducing demand on the Emergency Department. Action: Joe Teape agreed to investigate the data in respect of virtual appointment and MyMedicalRecord numbers presented for Month 6. 4.7 Finance Report for Month 6 Ian Howard was invited to present the Finance Report for Month 6, the content of which was noted. It was further noted that: • The Trust had received additional funding in respect of 2023/24 Elective Recovery Fund (ERF) performance, funding for industrial action costs, and deficit support funding from NHS England. As a result, the Trust had recorded a year-to-date deficit of £8m, a variance of -£4.7m against plan. • The Trust’s underlying deficit continued to be £5-6m per month. • The Trust had 200-220 patients with no criteria to reside at any one time, and expected reductions in mental health demand had not been realised due to non-delivery of system programmes. • The Trust had also undertaken £17m of unpaid activity in the first half of 2024/25. • The Trust had recorded 130% ERF performance in month and 128% year-to- date. It also continued to maintain low bank and agency use, and had delivered £32m of Cost Improvement Programme benefits. • There was significant financial pressure throughout the NHS in England. 4.8 ICB Finance Report for Month 6 Ian Howard was invited to present the ICB Finance Report for Month 6, the content of which was noted. It was further noted that: • The report tabled to the meeting had been prepared by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB) for all providers in the system. Page 4 • The system’s 2024/25 plan targeted a deficit of £70m. • During the first half of 2024/25, the system had received £55m in deficit support funding from NHS England and a surplus of £20m would be required during the second half of the year in order to be able to meet its 2024/25 target. • Meeting the 2024/25 target would likely be challenging. • The system had yet to see any significant benefit from the six transformation programmes. • It was noted that the ICB report would benefit from additional information in respect of workforce and equality, diversity and inclusion. 4.9 Recovery Support Programme (RSP) Undertakings – Self Assessment Ian Howard was invited to present the paper ‘Recovery Support Programme (RSP) Undertakings – Self-Assessment’, the content of which was noted. It was further noted that: • In June 2024, the Trust, along with all other organisations in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System (ICS) under the Recovery Support Programme had submitted a self-assessment in respect of the undertakings entered into in 2023. NHS England had provided feedback in respect of these self-assessments in August 2024. • All providers had been asked to provide a further self-assessment, which would then be incorporated into a system-wide response in January 2025. • The evidence supplied by the Trust in support of its self-assessment indicated significant engagement by the Trust’s Board with the organisation’s undertakings under the RSP as well as progress against these undertakings since the previous submission. • Factors such as the number of patients having no criteria to reside and other matters beyond the Trust’s control remained a concern in terms of the Trust’s ability to fully meet the undertakings. • The action plans for the ICS transformation programmes should be included as part of the Trust’s response to the request for a self-assessment. Decision Having discussed the proposed response by the Trust, the Board agreed the proposed self-assessment, and authorised David French and Ian Howard to submit it to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, subject to there being no material changes prior to submission. 4.10 People Report for Month 6 Steve Harris was invited to present the People Report for Month 6, the content of which was noted. It was further noted that: • The Trust was currently under its 2024/25 plan by 249 whole-time-equivalents (WTE). However, this situation was expected to change in October 2024 due to the impact of onboarding of newly qualified nurses and midwives, and also due to non-delivery of ICS transformation programmes in non-criteria to reside and mental health, which assumed a reduction of 167 WTE. • The Trust benchmarked well in terms of its sickness absence rate and turnover. • The Trust had plans to transfer recording of appraisals from the Electronic Staff Record to the Visual Learning Environment platform, which was considered to be more ‘user friendly’ and was therefore expected to improve recorded appraisal numbers. Page 5 • The Trust was in active negotiations with Unison in respect of the Band 2/3 pay dispute. • The People and Organisational Development Committee was to examine the overall workforce picture in more detail. 4.11 Cancer Patient Experience Survey Results 2023 Ali Keen was invited to present the Cancer Patient Experience Survey Results 2023, the content of which was noted. It was further noted that: • The survey involved 132 trusts, and had a 58% response rate at UHS (1,064 patients). • At the Trust 15 out of 59 questions scored above the expected range, which indicated that the Trust was a positive outlier when compared to trusts of a similar size and demographic. • Patients with longer-term health conditions and women tended to have worse experiences than other groups. • The care by and quality of staff at the Trust were rated highly. • There were opportunities for improvement in some areas such as administration and communication around appointments. 5. STRATEGY and BUSINESS PLANNING 5.1 Corporate Objectives 2024-25 Quarter 2 Review Martin De Sousa and Kelly Kent were invited to present the Corporate Objectives 2024/25 Quarter 2 review, the content of which was noted. It was further noted that: • The report now incorporated a forecast for the end of year. • The overall picture was positive with 12 objectives shown as ‘green’, two as ‘amber’, and two as ‘red’. • The main areas of risk in terms of the objectives concerned the deliverability of a stretching financial plan. • The completion of year two of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme was also at risk due to the state of steam duct tunnels, which required substantial remediation ahead of work commencing on the low temperature hot water system. 5.2 Board Assurance Framework (BAF) Update Craig Machell was invited to present the Board Assurance Framework Update, the content of which was noted. It was further noted that: • In September and October 2024, the Board’s committees had reviewed the BAF risks assigned to them, and the Audit and Risk Committee had reviewed the entire BAF. • As a result of these reviews, it had been agreed to increase the risk rating for Risk 1c (Infection Prevention Control) and to extend the target date. In addition, the target dates for all risks were to be reviewed to ensure that they were realistic. • The Board agenda now included an annex, which indicated where papers were linked to a BAF risk and the impact of any decision by the Board on the Trust’s achievement of its target risk rating. Furthermore, Board papers now Page 6 had a clear link to any relevant BAF risk included as part of the new cover sheet. 6. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE, RISK and INTERNAL CONTROL 6.1 Feedback from the Council of Governors’ (CoG) Meeting 23 October 2024 The Chair provided an overview of the meeting of the Council of Governors held on 23 October 2024. It was noted that the meeting had addressed the following matters: • Attendance at Council of Governors meetings • Appointment of a member of the Governors’ Nomination Committee • Planning for the Governors’ strategy session in December 2024 • Membership engagement • Feedback from the Working Groups • The external auditor’s report on the Annual Accounts In addition, on 31 October 2024, the Council of Governors had met with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB to discuss future plans for the system and opportunities for collaboration between providers. 6.2 Register of Seals and Chair’s Actions Report The paper ‘Register of Seals and Chair’s Actions Report’ was presented to the meeting, the content of which was noted. Decision: The Board agreed to ratify the application of the Trust Seal to the documents listed in the ‘Register of Seals and Chair’s Actions Report’. 7. Any other business There was no other business. 8. Note the date of the next meeting: 7 January 2025 9. Items circulated to the Board for reading The item circulated to the Board for reading was noted. There being no further business, the meeting concluded. 10. Resolution regarding the Press, Public and Others Decision: The Board resolved that, as permitted by the National Health Service Act 2006 (as amended), the Trust’s Constitution and the Standing Orders of the board of directors, that representatives of the press, members of the public and others not invited to attend to the next part of the meeting be excluded due to the confidential nature of the business to be transacted. The meeting was adjourned. Page 7 List of action items Agenda item Assigned to Deadline Status Trust Board – Open Session 06/06/2024 5.6 Performance KPI Report for Month 1 1152. Digital Teape, Joe Explanation action item JT agreed to include Digital as an agenda item at a future Trust Board Study Session. 27/02/2025 Pending Update: Item tentatively scheduled for TBSS on 27/02/2025 Trust Board – Open Session 25/07/2024 5.4 Briefing from the Chair of the Quality Committee (Oral) 1163. Impact of technology Machell, Craig 27/02/2025 Pending Explanation action item Craig Machell agreed to add an item covering the impact of technology over the next 5-10 years to a future Trust Board Study Session agenda. Update: Item tentatively scheduled for 27/02/25 Study Session. Trust Board – Open Session 05/11/2024 4.6 Performance KPI Report for Month 6 1181. MyMedicalRecord (MMR) Teape, Joe 07/01/2025 Completed Explanation action item Joe Teape agreed to investigate the data in respect of virtual appointment and MyMedicalRecord numbers presented for Month 6. Update: The issue was related to the MMR – drop-in logins in month and the increase in the previous month which was noted in the Month 6 report, as oncology had been added to the system and all patients notified in that month driving a surge in logins. Page 1 of 1 Agenda Item 5.1 i) Committee Chair’s Report to the Trust Board of Directors 7 January 2025 Committee: Finance & Investment Committee Meeting Date: 25 November 2024 Key Messages: • • • • • • • • For month 7, the Trust had reported an in-month deficit of £4.5m and a £12.5m year-to-date deficit. The Trust was £9.2m behind plan. The non-delivery of system-wide transformation programmes represented approximately half of the overall deficit. The recent pay awards resulted in an additional £2m cost pressure. Elective Recovery performance was 125%, which was lower than previously due to operational challenges in October 2024, high levels of annual leave, and the performance achieved in October 2019 on which in-month performance was based. The Trust’s workforce numbers were beginning to increase as anticipated as newly qualified staff members were onboarded. The ongoing discussions with Unison in respect of the Band 2/3 pay dispute would likely lead to additional one-off costs as well as recurring costs if any pay increase were agreed. It was expected that the Trust would be below the NHS England minimum cash holding during Quarter 4. It was forecast that the Trust would deliver £67.7m of CIP for 2024/25 against £84.9m of identified schemes. The Trust’s Always Improving programme had succeeded in delivering a 3.6% reduction in length of stay. Assurance: (Reports/Papers reviewed by the Committee also appearing on the Board agenda) Not applicable. Any Other Matters: • The committee received a quarterly update from Estates, Facilities and Capital Development. • The committee supported the Trust’s bid for external funding in support of the Southampton Elective Hub. Assurance Rating: Substantial There is a robust series of suitably designed internal controls in place upon Assurance which the organisation relies to manage the risk of failure of the continuous and effective achievement of the objectives of the process, which at the time of our review were being consistently applied. Reasonable There is a series of controls in place, however there are potential risks that Assurance may not be sufficient to ensure that the individual objectives of the process are achieved in a continuous and effective manner. Improvements are required to enhance the adequacy and effectiveness of the controls to mitigate these risks. Limited Assurance Controls in place are not sufficient to ensure that the organisation can rely upon them to manage the risks to the continuous and effective achievement of the objectives of the process. Significant improvements are required to improve the adequacy and effectiveness of the controls. Page 1 of 2 No Assurance Not Applicable Risk Rating: Low Medium High Not Applicable There is a fundamental breakdown or absence of core internal controls such that the organisation cannot rely upon them to manage the risks to the continuous and effective achievement of the objectives of the process. Immediate action is required to improve the adequacy and effectiveness of controls. Where assurance is not required and/or relevant. Based on the report considered by the committee, there is little or no concern that the Trust will be unable to meet its stated objectives and/or plans. There is some concern that the Trust might not be able to fully meet its stated objectives and/or plans based on the information contained in the report considered by the committee. There is a significant risk that the Trust will not be able to meet its stated objectives and/or plans based on the information contained in the report considered by the committee. Where risk rating is not relevant. Page 2 of 2 Agenda Item 5.1 ii) Committee Chair’s Report to the Trust Board of Directors 7 January 2025 Committee: Finance & Investment Committee Meeting Date: 16 December 2024 Key Messages: • • • • The Trust’s financial position remains difficult despite significant levels of savings being delivered in areas such as patient flow, theatres, and outpatients. The main contributor to the Trust’s deficit continues to be non-delivery of system-wide transformation programmes, especially those concerning patients having no criteria to reside. The Trust was forecasting to achieve c.£67m of its cost improvement programme target for 2024/25, a shortfall of £17m against the identified opportunities. However, much of the unachieved amount assumed delivery of system transformation programmes. The Trust’s cash balance was initially expected to fall below the NHS England minimum holding level during Quarter 4. However, the Trust has received £12m of additional cash, which now means that the Trust’s cash balance should not fall below minimum required levels until Quarter 1 of 2025/26. Assurance: (Reports/Papers reviewed by the Committee also appearing on the Board agenda) 5.7 Finance Report for Month 8 Assurance Rating: Risk Rating: Substantial High • The Trust’s in-month deficit was £5.7m and a year-to-date deficit of £18.2m, £14.8m behind plan year-to-date. • The Trust has carried out £21m of unfunded activity during the year. • The Trust continues to benchmark well in terms of value for money, and continues to apply measures to ensure financial grip and governance with strong controls in place. 6.1 Board Assurance Framework (BAF) Update Assurance Rating: Risk Rating: Substantial N/A • Risks 5a, 5b and 5c have been updated, following discussions with the respective Executive Director(s). • The risk rating for Risk 5a has been increased from 15 to 20 due to the deteriorating cash balance and the ongoing financial pressures. Any Other Matters: • The committee reviewed the outputs of the review of non-pay expenditure carried out by Deloitte. • The committee supported the outline strategy for a possible private patient unit. • The committee gave its support in principle for the Trust to bid for £1.75m of funding in support of the Trust’s Same-Day Emergency Care service. Assurance Rating: Substantial There is a robust series of suitably designed internal controls in place upon Assurance which the organisation relies to manage the risk of failure of the continuous and effective achievement of the objectives of the process, which at the time of our review were being consistently applied. Reasonable There is a series of controls in place, however there are potential risks that Assurance may not be sufficient to ensure that the individual objectives of the process are achieved in a continuous and effective manner. Improvements are required to enhance the adequacy and effectiveness of the controls to mitigate these risks. Page 1 of 2 Limited Assurance No Assurance Not Applicable Controls in place are not sufficient to ensure that the organisation can rely upon them to manage the risks to the continuous and effective achievement of the objectives of the process. Significant improvements are required to improve the adequacy and effectiveness of the controls. There is a fundamental breakdown or absence of core internal controls such that the organisation cannot rely upon them to manage the risks to the continuous and effective achievement of the objectives of the process. Immediate action is required to improve the adequacy and effectiveness of controls. Where assurance is not required and/or relevant. Risk Rating: Low Medium High Not Applicable Based on the report considered by the committee, there is little or no concern that the Trust will be unable to meet its stated objectives and/or plans. There is some concern that the Trust might not be able to fully meet its stated objectives and/or plans based on the information contained in the report considered by the committee. There is a significant risk that the Trust will not be able to meet its stated objectives and/or plans based on the information contained in the report considered by the committee. Where risk rating is not relevant. Page 2 of 2 Agenda item 5.2 Committee Chair’s Report to the Trust Board of Directors 7 January 2025 Committee: People & Organisational Development Committee Meeting Date: 13 December 2024 Key Messages: • • • • • The Trust’s substantive workforce grew by 7 whole-time-equivalents (WTE) during November 2024 in line with forecast. However, an adjustment has also been made to the substantive numbers being reported due to the status of a hosted network (the CRN), which expanded following a TUPE transfer of staff. The rate of bank staff usage had increased in November 2024 due to the need to open surge capacity. This was expected to continue during the remainder of the year. Reduction in bank benefit has been assumed though, commencing in January linked to NQNs exiting supernumerary periods. The non-delivery of system-wide transformation programmes continues to pose a significant risk to the Trust’s delivery of its 2024/25 workforce plan. A Mutually Agreed Resignation Scheme (MARS) has been approved by NHS England, which was expected to deliver a reduction in workforce of c.20 WTE by March 2025. The Trust was forecasting a total workforce of 13,464 WTE at the end of the year – broadly flat compared with the end of 2023/24. Increases in substantive workforce has been forecasted during December and January. Due to the volatility of predicting start dates during the Christmas period, a reforecast may take place in January. Assurance: (Reports/Papers reviewed by the Committee also appearing on the Board agenda) 5.9 People Report for Month 8 Assurance Rating: Risk Rating: Substantial High • The Trust is above its 2024/25 workforce plan by 77 WTE due to a combination of the planned increases in substantive staff as newly qualified employees are onboarded, and the assumed reduction in workforce requirements due to delivery of system-wide transformation programmes. • The system-wide transformation programmes assumed a reduction in workforce of 218 WTE. Non-delivery of these programmes therefore poses a significant risk to the Trust’s achievement of its overall 2024/25 workforce plan. • The Trust’s sickness absence rate was 3.3% against the target of 3.9%, and turnover was lower than expected. • The response rate to the Staff Survey was low compared to the national average. 6.1 Board Assurance Framework (BAF) Update Assurance Rating: Risk Rating: Substantial N/A • Risks 3a, 3b and 3c have been updated, following discussions with the respective Executive Director(s). • The financial situation and uncertainty in respect of the NHS long-term workforce plan poses a significant underlying risk, and it was suggested that increasing the rating of risk 3c should be considered to reflect this. Any Other Matters: • A detailed update was provided in respect of the ongoing industrial dispute with the porters and in respect of the Band 2/3 pay dispute. Page 1 of 2 • The need to manage ongoing industrial disputes was impacting the Trust’s People team’s capacity to make progress on other areas, such as those relating to transformation. Assurance Rating: Substantial There is a robust series of suitably designed internal controls in place upon Assurance which the organisation relies to manage the risk of failure of the continuous and effective achievement of the objectives of the process, which at the time of our review were being consistently applied. Reasonable There is a series of controls in place, however there are potential risks that Assurance may not be sufficient to ensure that the individual objectives of the process are achieved in a continuous and effective manner. Improvements are required to enhance the adequacy and effectiveness of the controls to mitigate these risks. Limited Assurance Controls in place are not sufficient to ensure that the organisation can rely upon them to manage the risks to the continuous and effective achievement of the objectives of the process. Significant improvements are required to improve the adequacy and effectiveness of the controls. No Assurance There is a fundamental breakdown or absence of core internal controls such that the organisation cannot rely upon them to manage the risks to the continuous and effective achievement of the objectives of the process. Immediate action is required to improve the adequacy and effectiveness of controls. Not Applicable Where assurance is not required and/or relevant. Risk Rating: Low Medium High Not Applicable Based on the report considered by the committee, there is little or no concern that the Trust will be unable to meet its stated objectives and/or plans. There is some concern that the Trust might not be able to fully meet its stated objectives and/or plans based on the information contained in the report considered by the committee. There is a significant risk that the Trust will not be able to meet its stated objectives and/or plans based on the information contained in the report considered by the committee. Where risk rating is not relevant. Page 2 of 2 Agenda item 5.3 Committee Chair’s Report to the Trust Board of Directors 7 January 2025 Committee: Quality Committee Meeting Date: 25 November 2024 Key Messages: • • • • • • • There had been seven never events reported during 2024/25. There had been a decrease in the number of category 2 pressure ulcers, which was possibly due to increased training rates. Three prostate patients had been lost to follow up, and there were concerns in respect of capacity within the prostate service. Overall, the Quality Indicators show a system under pressure. There were also concerns in respect of cardiac surgery services due to staffing levels and culture within the team, which had led to cancellations and increased waiting lists. The PALS/complaints service had had 2,135 interactions during Quarter 2. The top themes related to clinical treatment, patient care, and communication. The number of Inquests was increasing, which was putting pressure on services. Assurance: (Reports/Papers reviewed by the Committee also appearing on the Board agenda) 5.12 Learning from Deaths 2024-25 Quarter 2 Report Assurance Rating: Risk Rating: Substantial Medium • Whilst the overall death rate had increased, this was in line with national trends. The Trust was performing well, and was one of 13 trusts scoring below the expected figure. • A mobile application to share the outputs of mortality and morbidity meetings was being reviewed. • The lack of available side rooms was leading to an increasing number of patients dying on wards rather than in a private environment. 5.13 Infection Prevention and Control 2024-25 Quarter 2 Report Assurance Rating: Risk Rating: Substantial High • The Trust was expected to miss most bacteraemia targets for 2024/25. • The Trust was mid-table compared with other teaching hospitals. • The rate of MRSA had increased to 4-5 cases per annum from 2020 onwards, compared with 0-2 per annum between 2015 and 2020. • An audit of hand washing had raised concerns about the compliance rate. • The loss of experienced staff since the COVID-19 pandemic was considered to be a significant contributor to the decline in performance. Any Other Matters: The committee reviewed the Maternity and Neonatal Safety 2024-25 Quarter 2 Report and noted the following: • Caesarean section rates remained high. • The Trust’s post-partum haemorrhage rate remained above the national expectations, but no key themes had been identified following review of this matter. • In a review of third- and fourth-degree tears, no key themes had been identified. • One maternal death was under investigation. Page 1 of 43 Assurance Rating: Substantial There is a robust series of suitably designed internal controls in place upon Assurance which the organisation relies to manage the risk of failure of the continuous and effective achievement of the objectives of the process, which at the time of our review were being consistently applied. Reasonable There is a series of controls in place, however there are potential risks that Assurance may not be sufficient to ensure that the individual objectives of the process are achieved in a continuous and effective manner. Improvements are required to enhance the adequacy and effectiveness of the controls to mitigate these risks. Limited Assurance Controls in place are not sufficient to ensure that the organisation can rely upon them to manage the risks to the continuous and effective achievement of the objectives of the process. Significant improvements are required to improve the adequacy and effectiveness of the controls. No Assurance There is a fundamental breakdown or absence of core internal controls such that the organisation cannot rely upon them to manage the risks to the continuous and effective achievement of the objectives of the process. Immediate action is required to improve the adequacy and effectiveness of controls. Not Applicable Where assurance is not required and/or relevant. Risk Rating: Low Medium High Not Applicable Based on the report considered by the committee, there is little or no concern that the Trust will be unable to meet its stated objectives and/or plans. There is some concern that the Trust might not be able to fully meet its stated objectives and/or plans based on the information contained in the report considered by the committee. There is a significant risk that the Trust will not be able to meet its stated objectives and/or plans based on the information contained in the report considered by the committee. Where risk rating is not relevant. Page 2 of 43 Agenda Item 4.6 Report to the Quality Committee, 25 November 2024 Title: Sponsor: Author: Purpose Maternity and Neonatal Safety 2024-25 Quarter 2 Report Gail Byrne, Chief Nursing Officer Alison Millman, Quality Assurance and Safety Midwifery Matron Jessica Bown, Quality Assurance and Safety Midwifery Matron Hannah Mallon, Quality Assurance and Safety Neonatal Matron Marie Cann, Maternity and Neonatal Safety Lead Emma Northover, Director of Midwifery (Re)Assurance Approval Ratification Information x x x Strategic Theme Outstanding patient outcomes, safety and experience Pioneering research and innovation World class people Integrated networks Foundations for the and collaboration future x Executive Summary: NHS Resolution (NHSR) requires that the Maternity & Neonatal (MatNeo) service reports to our Trust Quality Committee each time it meets. This Quarter 2 (Q2) 24-25 MatNeo services safety report will continue to be adapted and responsive to safety concerns or issues within our service providing assurance around safety improvements impacting our families, services, and staff. The information provided is for assurance and reassurance, whilst meeting the requirements of NHSR Maternity Incentive Scheme (MIS)Year 6 and highlights the safety improvement work and learning from all aspects of the services. We ask members to continue to support the MatNeo Services and provide monitoring and scrutiny as required. Contents: This report provides an update in relation to the following areas for Quarter 2 2024/25: 1. Perinatal Quality Surveillance – Maternity & Neonatal Dashboard (Appendix 1) 1.1. Scheduled Caesarean Section Capacity 1.2. Post Partum Haemorrhage (PPHs) 1.3. Episiotomy 1.4. 3rd and 4th degree tears 1.5. ITU transfers 1.6. Apgars 500ms (43.58%) NMPA target is 1500mls (5.8%) NMPA target is 35% Global majority booked CoC Model – Q2 compliance 19.5%, National target is > 35% The most vulnerable families are still supported by our Needing Extra Support Teams (NEST) and as we progress workstreams around future workforce plans, the service aspires to develop new and more sustainable CoC models of care. To give assurance we monitor and audit outcomes to ensure that groups most likely to be offered a CoC model are not showing as exceptions in our data or when clinically reviewing adverse outcomes. 1.9 FFT recommenders as % of responders Current compliance: 83.9% of responders would recommend our service. This has fallen slightly from Q1 (87.4%). As mentioned in the previous Committee report, the % of responders who would recommend our postnatal ward dropped to 67% in September 2024. This was escalated to the inpatient matrons and an improvement plan focusing on two areas has been developed (Appendix 2). These areas are: • Partner or someone else involved in service users care being allowed to stay with them as much as the service user wanted during their stay in hospital. • After the birth, ensure that women and birthing people are given the opportunity to ask any questions they may have about their labour and birth. 1.10 Maternity Opel 4 Diverts There has been an increase in the number of occasions when the Maternity Service has moved through escalation and ultimately declared OPEL 4. There are escalation processes and policies in place that aim to ensure appropriate decision making and the safety of our families and workforce. This issue has been widely monitored through Birthrate Plus reporting and reviewed within safety incident investigations and is on our Risk Register (Risk 259 High Red). As per the Trust’s PSIRF plan, harm tools are completed for each Opel 4 exceeding 24 hours to review the wider impact and harm associated with the service being on
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Papers Trust Board - 10 September 2024
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Agenda Trust Board – Open Session Date 10/09/2024 Time 9:00 - 13:00 Location Conference Room, Heartbeat/Microsoft Teams Chair Jenni Douglas-Todd Apologies Diana Eccles (10:00-12:00) In attendance Jessica Bown, Midwifery Quality Assurance and Safety Matron (shadowing Gail Byrne) 1 Chair’s Welcome, Apologies and Declarations of Interest 9:00 Note apologies for absence, and to hear any declarations of interest relating to any item on the Agenda. 2 Patient Story The patient story provides an opportunity for the Board to reflect on the experiences of patients and staff within the Trust and understand what the Trust could do better. 3 Minutes of Previous Meeting held on 25 July 2024 9:15 Approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on 25 July 2024 4 Matters Arising and Summary of Agreed Actions To discuss any matters arising from the minutes, and to agree on the status of any actions assigned at the previous meeting. 5 QUALITY, PERFORMANCE and FINANCE Quality includes: clinical effectiveness, patient safety, and patient experience 5.1 Briefing from the Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee (Oral) 9:20 Dave Bennett, Chair 5.2 Briefing from the Chair of the People and Organisational Development 9:25 Committee (Oral) Jane Harwood, Chair 5.3 Briefing from the Chair of the Quality Committee (Oral) 9:30 Tim Peachey, Chair 5.4 Chief Executive Officer's Report 9:35 Receive and note the report Sponsor: David French, Chief Executive Officer 5.5 Patient Safety and Quality of Care in Pressurised Services 9:55 Review and discuss the report Sponsor: Joe Teape, Chief Operating Officer Attendee: Duncan Linning-Karp, Deputy Chief Operating Officer 5.6 Performance KPI Report for Month 4 10:05 Review and discuss the report Sponsor: David French, Chief Executive Officer 5.7 Finance Report for Month 4 10:30 Review and discuss the report Sponsor: Ian Howard, Chief Financial Officer 5.8 Break 10:40 5.9 People Report for Month 4 10:55 Review and discuss the report Sponsor: Steve Harris, Chief People Officer 5.10 Guardian of Safe Working Hours Quarterly Report 11:10 Receive and discuss the report Sponsor: Paul Grundy, Chief Medical Officer Attendee: Diana Hulbert, Emergency Medicine Consultant and Guardian of Safe Working Hours 5.11 Learning from Deaths 2024-25 Quarter 1 Report 11:25 Review and discuss the report Sponsor: Paul Grundy, Chief Medical Officer Attendee: Jenny Milner, Associate Director of Patient Experience 5.12 Medical Appraisal and Revalidation Annual Report including Board 11:40 Statement of Compliance Receive and note the Annual Report. Approve the Statement of Compliance. Sponsor: Paul Grundy, Chief Medical Officer 5.13 Safeguarding Annual Report 2023-24 11:55 Receive and discuss Sponsor: Gail Byrne, Chief Nursing Officer Attendees: Corinne Miller, Named Nurse for Safeguarding Adults/ Danielle Honey, Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children 6 STRATEGY and BUSINESS PLANNING 6.1 Board Assurance Framework (BAF) Update 12:10 Review and discuss the update Sponsor: Gail Byrne, Chief Nursing Officer Attendees: Craig Machell, Associate Director of Corporate Affairs and Company Secretary/Lauren Anderson, Corporate Governance and Risk Manager Page 2 7 CORPORATE GOVERNANCE, RISK and INTERNAL CONTROL 7.1 Register of Seals and Chair's Actions Report 12:20 Receive and ratify In compliance with the Trust Standing Orders, Financial Instructions, and the Scheme of Reservation and Delegation. Sponsor: Jenni Douglas-Todd, Trust Chair 7.2 Health and Safety Annual Report 2023-24 12:25 Receive and discuss Sponsor: Gail Byrne, Chief Nursing Officer Attendee: Jane Fisher, Head of Health and Safety Services 7.3 People and Organisational Development Committee Terms of Reference 12:35 Review and approve Sponsor: Steve Harris, Chief People Officer 8 Any other business 12:40 Raise any relevant or urgent matters that are not on the agenda 9 Note the date of the next meeting: 5 November 2024 10 Items circulated to the Board for reading 10.1 CRN: Wessex 2024-25 Q1 Performance Report Note the report Sponsor: Paul Grundy, Chief Medical Officer 11 Resolution regarding the Press, Public and Others Sponsor: Jenni Douglas-Todd, Trust Chair To agree, as permitted by the National Health Service Act 2006 (as amended), the Trust's Constitution and the Standing Orders of the Board of Directors, that representatives of the press, members of the public and others not invited to attend to the next part of the meeting be excluded due to the confidential nature of the business to be transacted. 12 Follow-up discussion with governors 12:45 Page 3 Minutes Trust Board – Open Session Date Time 25/07/2024 9:00 – 13:00 Location Anaesthetic Seminar Room (CE95/99)/Microsoft Teams Chair Jenni Douglas-Todd (JD-T) Present Dave Bennett, NED (DB) Jenni Douglas-Todd, Chair (JD-T) Diana Eccles, NED (DE) Keith Evans, Deputy Chair and NED (KE) David French, Chief Executive Officer (DAF) Paul Grundy, Chief Medical Officer (PG) Steve Harris, Chief People Officer (SH) Jane Harwood, NED/Senior Independent Director (JH) Ian Howard, Chief Financial Officer (IH) Tim Peachey, NED (TP) (until 12:00) Joe Teape, Chief Operating Officer (JT) Alison Tattersall, NED (AT) Natasha Watts, Interim Deputy Chief Nursing Officer (NW) (for G Byrne) In attendance Martin De Sousa, Director of Strategy and Partnerships (MDeS) Craig Machell, Associate Director of Corporate Affairs and Company Secretary (CM) Lauren Anderson, Corporate Governance and Risk Manager (LA) (item 6.3) Kelly Kent, Head of Strategy and Partnerships (KK) (item 6.1) Marie Nelson, R&D Head of Nursing and Health Professions (MN) (item 6.2) Karen Underwood, Director of R&D (KU) (item 6.2) Kerrie Montoute, Head of Programmes, CDO Directorate at NHSE (shadowing JDT) 1 member of the public (item 2) 3 governors (observing) 3 members of staff (observing) 2 members of the public (observing) Apologies Gail Byrne, Chief Nursing Officer (GB) 1. Chair’s Welcome, Apologies and Declarations of Interest The Chair welcomed attendees to the meeting. There were no interests to declare in the business to be transacted at the meeting. It was noted that apologies had been received from Gail Byrne. The Board welcomed Alison Tattersall, who joined the Board as a non-executive director on 1 June 2024. The Chair provided an overview of her activities since June 2024, including visits to hospital departments, meetings with peers and other key stakeholders. 2. Patient Story Georgia Blackman and her parents were invited to relate their story following Georgia’s admission with serious head and abdominal injuries after a car accident in November 2023. She had not been expected to survive, but had instead made Page 1 a very good recovery and was undergoing rehabilitation and had regained some sight. The family related their experience of being told that their daughter was going to die and the importance of how this message is delivered was highlighted. It was further noted that where a patient is between 16 and 18 years old it was necessary to consider whether they are managed as a child or as an adult in terms of their care. 3. Minutes of the Previous Meeting held on 6 June 2024 The draft minutes tabled to the meeting were agreed to be an accurate record of the meeting held on 6 June 2024. 4. Matters Arising and Summary of Agreed Actions It was noted that there were no matters arising or overdue actions. 5. QUALITY, PERFORMANCE and FINANCE 5.1 Briefing from the Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee The chair of the Audit and Risk Committee was invited to provide an overview of the meeting held on 27 June 2024 and the subsequent meeting of a committee authorised to approve the final annual report and accounts for 2023/24 held on 16 July 2024. It was noted that the annual report and accounts had been submitted to NHS England on 19 July 2024 and that the Trust’s external auditor had provided a ‘clean’ audit opinion. 5.2 Briefing from the Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee The chair of the Finance and Investment Committee was invited to provide an overview of the meeting held on 22 July 2024. It was noted that: • The committee had reviewed the Finance Report for Month 3 (item 5.8). • The committee had examined the Trust’s progress on its transformation programme, and noted in particular the success in reducing length of stay by 5% for P0 patients as part of the discharge programme. • The committee received a report on the Trust’s productivity and noted that the national methodology used created a confusing position and did not incorporate the impacts of certain factors which should be included. • The committee reviewed the Trust’s activities in the digital space and noted that capital in this area was primarily used for maintenance rather than development and that there was a significant infrastructure risk due to the Trust’s current data centre set up. It was further noted that better understanding of the benefits of digital development and timescales was required. • The Trust had agreed to participate in establishing a separate legal entity to seek investment to exploit intellectual property rights jointly developed by the Trust and the University of Southampton. 5.3 Briefing from the Chair of the People and Organisational Development Committee The chair of the People and Organisational Development Committee was invited to provide an overview of the meeting held on 22 July 2024. It was noted that: • The committee reviewed the revised People Report for Month 3 (item 5.9), noting that the workforce plan was at risk if there was no reduction in patients having no criteria to reside and mental health demand. • The committee had reviewed the Trust’s Employee Relations activities and received an update on an investigation into comments made on social media. Page 2 5.4 5.4.1 5.5 • In its review of the Board Assurance Framework (item 6.3), it was agreed that culture also needed to be reflected in the people-related risks. Briefing from the Chair of the Quality Committee The chair of the Quality Committee was invited to provide an overview of the meeting held on 15 July 2024. It was noted that: • In its report from the Quality Governance Steering Group, the committee noted that there were two new never events under investigation. In addition, there were national shortages of certain medicines. The committee also noted an increase in violence and aggression linked to the increasing number of patients with mental health issues. • The committee reviewed the Fundamentals of Care programme and noted that it was very comprehensive. • The committee also received updates following a visit by Southern Health and the impact of demand by patients with mental health issues on the Trust. • The committee also noted a report by the Royal College of Radiologists on the Trust’s radiotherapy department, which provided positive feedback, and noted the expansion in use and scope of the service. • In its review of the Board Assurance Framework (item 6.3), the committee noted that the risk of staff availability could be due to both unaffordability as well as national lack of availability of qualified individuals. Action Craig Machell agreed to add an item covering the impact of technology over the next 5-10 years to a future Trust Board Study Session agenda. Maternity and Neonatal Safety 2024-25 Quarter 1 Report The chair of the Quality Committee was invited to provide an overview of the Maternity and Neonatal Safety 2024/25 report for the first quarter, the content of which was noted. It was further noted that: • Under the terms of the NHS Resolution Maternity Incentive Scheme, the Board had delegated review of the report to the Quality Committee. • There had been sustained improvement in meeting the required timescales for booking of appointments and screening since April 2024. • The continuity of carer need should be focused where it could make the most difference. • Appointment of a community partner by the Integrated Care Board was expected soon. • The Trust was approximately 40 members of staff short. However, plans were in place to address this deficit, including use of newly qualified nurses on rotations and the 36 new entrants expected between November 2024 and March 2025. Chief Executive Officer’s Report David French was invited to present the Chief Executive Officer’s Report, the content of which was noted. It was further noted that: • David French had met with the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on 19 July 2024 where the Secretary of State had outlined his priorities in terms of urgent and emergency care and addressing the backlog in elective care through using private sector capacity. In addition, it was noted that the intention for the longer term was to focus on preventative health and digital. • Following the General Election, there were also a number of new Members of Parliament for the area served by the Trust. Page 3 • On 1 July 2024, the new pathology laboratory information management system had been rolled out across the region. There had been some initial issues with providing information to primary care providers. • David French had been asked and had agreed to remain as the provider representative on the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board until September 2024. • A new referral system for Ophthalmology had been launched, which would use A/I in supporting the booking process. 5.6 Performance KPI Report for Month 3 Joe Teape was invited to present the Performance KPI Report for Month 3, the content of which was noted. It was further noted that: • The Trust’s performance was in the top quartile for six out of nine measures and the top half for two others. • There had been a fairly stable period with better occupancy levels and improvements in timings of discharges. • There were ~220 patients no longer meeting criteria to reside during June 2024, and the Trust was considering a new plan with local partners for a local system delivery plan. • The Trust’s cancer performance continued to be impacted by the challenge posed by increasing demand. • The Trust’s performance against the 31-day standard had fallen to the third decile, with capacity issues in radiology and prostate services. • Further understanding of who was being referred under cancer pathways was required, as this could identify health inequality concerns in terms of who was accessing the Trust’s services. • Increases in referrals could be due to national campaigns which raise public awareness of certain forms of cancer and the possible symptoms. 5.7 Break 5.8 Finance Report for Month 3 Ian Howard was invited to present the Finance Report for Month 3, the content of which was noted. It was further noted that: • Nationally, the NHS’s deficit was above £1bn, representing 4-5%. The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board had recorded a £57m deficit (6%) for month 3. The average deficit for university teaching hospitals was 4.1%. • The Trust had recorded a £13m deficit (year-to-date) and an in-month deficit of £4.5m. • There had been some early signs of improvement with the underlying position having improved since month 1. • The Trust’s elective recovery performance was 128% and there had been improvements in length of stay. • The Trust’s workforce numbers and pay costs were below plan, and agency numbers had halved since summer 2023. • The underlying monthly deficit was c.£5m, with approximately £1m of this attributable to unfunded pay awards and costs of industrial action. • Meeting the Trust’s plan for Quarter 2 of 2024/25 was expected to be challenging, as it assumed that the Integrated Care System’s transformation programmes would begin to deliver. • The Trust’s cash reserves were now below £30m, and the Trust might need to consider the need for additional cash from NHS England. • The Trust would continue to focus on its transformation programmes. Page 4 • The level of the anticipated pay award for 2024/25 and a likely shortfall in funding for the award was a risk to the Trust’s financial position. 5.9 People Report for Month 3 Steve Harris was invited to present the People Report for Month 3, the content of which was noted. It was further noted that: • A number of improvements were in the process of being made to the report to incorporate a ‘heat map’ and provide additional focus on culture. • The Trust was under its overall workforce plan by 313 whole-time equivalents (WTE) at the end of June 2024. However, in terms of its overall plan, ~200 WTE were reliant on improvements in the non-criteria to reside and mental health position. • Violence and aggression remained a key concern, with increasing use by the Trust of its warning and exclusion policy. • Work was ongoing to review the number of statutory and mandatory training courses with a view toward rationalising the number. • The ‘We Are UHS’ Champions award ceremony was to be held in October 2024. • The Integrated Care Board recruitment control panel appeared to be limiting the number of requests for recruitment likely due to improved filtering taking place by the individual trusts. 5.10 Annual Complaints Report 2023-24 Natasha Watts was invited to present the Annual Complaints Report for 2023/24, the content of which was noted. It was further noted that: • The number of complaints received had decreased slightly compared to the previous year, and the number of complaints upheld or partially upheld had decreased compared to the previous year and remained lower than the national average. • There had been four cases reviewed by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, of which two were closed and two were partially upheld. • The overall quality of responses to complaints had improved. 6. STRATEGY and BUSINESS PLANNING 6.1 Corporate Objectives 2024-25 Quarter 1 Review Martin De Sousa was invited to present the Corporate Objectives 2024/25 Quarter 1 Review, the content of which was noted. It was further noted that: • The Trust’s performance was largely positive with 11 (out of 16) objectives on track to be delivered in full. • The major risks for achievement of the objectives were the Trust’s financial position and the possible impact of this on the workforce, and the Trust’s ability to reduce the number of patients not having criteria to reside. • Inclusion of a predicted future rating for each objective in reports was to be considered. Page 5 6.2 Research and Development Plan 2024-25 Karen Underwood was invited to present the Research and Development Plan for 2024/25, the content of which was noted. It was further noted that: • During 2023/24, the Trust had recruited its 250,000th participant and had launched its Research for Impact strategy. • Income for 2024/25 was predicted to be lower than previously due to the impact of Covid-19-related studies on prior years. • Vacancies and the reliance on clinical support services would be a challenge for 2024/25. Decision Having discussed the proposal, the Board approved the Research and Development Plan for 2024/25. Action Ian Howard agreed to obtain clarification regarding the discrepancy between the Return on Investment table and Appendix 4 in the plan. 6.3 Board Assurance Framework (BAF) Update Lauren Anderson was invited to present the Board Assurance Framework, the content of which was noted. It was further noted that: • All risks had been reviewed by the Executive leads since June 2024. • The recorded gaps and controls were being checked and the BAF would differentiate between actions and aspirations in terms of the Trust’s steps to mitigate or address areas of risk. • It was intended to more closely link the BAF risks to the Board’s agenda. • The maturity assessment undertaken during 2023/24 as part of the audit of risk management carried out by KPMG would be reviewed to determine where the Trust would be against its aspirations by the end of the year. 7. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE, RISK and INTERNAL CONTROL 7.1 Feedback from the Council of Governors’ (CoG) Meeting 24 July 2024 The Chair provided an overview of the meeting of the Council of Governors held on 24 July 2024. It was noted that the meeting had addressed the following matters: • The appointment of Shirley Anderson as the new Lead Governor. • Reports from the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. • The Trust’s annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024. 7.2 Register of Seals and Chair’s Actions Report The paper ‘Register of Seals and Chair’s Actions Report’ was presented to the meeting, the content of which was noted. Decision: The Board agreed to ratify the application of the Trust Seal to the documents listed in the ‘Register of Seals and Chair’s Actions Report’. 8. Any other business There was no other business. Page 6 9. Note the date of the next meeting: 10 September 2024 10. Resolution regarding the Press, Public and Others Decision: The Board resolved that, as permitted by the National Health Service Act 2006 (as amended), the Trust’s Constitution and the Standing Orders of the board of directors, that representatives of the press, members of the public and others not invited to attend to the next part of the meeting be excluded due to the confidential nature of the business to be transacted. The meeting was adjourned. Page 7 List of action items Agenda item Assigned to Deadline Status Trust Board – Open Session 28/03/2024 4.14 Guardian of Safe Working Hours Quarterly Report 1127. Junior Doctors Grundy, Paul 24/10/2024 Pending Explanation action item Paul Grundy and Diana Hulbert agreed to include an item regarding junior doctors on a future Trust Board Study Session agenda. Due to industrial action on 27 June, this item has been deferred to the next TBSS on 24/10/2024. Trust Board – Open Session 06/06/2024 5.6 Performance KPI Report for Month 1 1152. Digital Teape, Joe Explanation action item JT agreed to include Digital as an agenda item at a future Trust Board Study Session. 24/10/2024 Pending This item is tentatively scheduled for TBSS on 24/10/2024. Trust Board – Open Session 25/07/2024 5.4 Briefing from the Chair of the Quality Committee (Oral) 1163. Impact of technology Machell, Craig 27/02/2025 Pending Explanation action item Craig Machell agreed to add an item covering the impact of technology over the next 5-10 years to a future Trust Board Study Session agenda. Update: Item tentatively scheduled for 27/02/25 Study Session. Page 1 of 2 Agenda item Assigned to Deadline Status Trust Board – Open Session 25/07/2024 6.2 Research and Development Plan 2024-25 1165. Discrepancy Howard, Ian 10/09/2024 Pending Explanation action item Ian Howard agreed to obtain clarification regarding the discrepancy between the Return on Investment table and Appendix 4 in the plan. Page 2 of 2 Report to the Trust Board of Directors Title: Agenda item: Sponsor: Date: Purpose: Issue to be addressed: Response to the issue: Chief Executive Officer’s Report 5.4 David French, Chief Executive Officer 10 September 2024 Assurance Approval or reassurance Ratification Information X My report this month covers updates on the following items: • NHS Pay Offers • National Unison Campaign – Collective Pay Grievance for Healthcare Support Workers • Civil Unrest • Hampshire Together • Maternity Services and Sustainable Staffing • CQC Annual Hospital Inpatients Survey • Annual Regulation and Oversight Survey • Cass Review Implementation • Aseptic Preparation Audit • Human Tissue Authority inspection The response to each of these issues is covered in the report. Implications: Any implications of these issues are covered in the report. (Clinical, Organisational, Governance, Legal?) Summary: Conclusion The Board is asked to note the report. and/or recommendation Page 1 of 9 NHS Pay Offers On 29 July 2024, the Government announced that it would accept in full pay review body advice on NHS staff salaries and would make a pay offer to junior doctors in an attempt to end the ongoing industrial action. The Government accepted the 2024/25 recommendations of the NHS Pay Review Body for a 5.5% increase, backdated to 1 April 2024, for all Agenda for Change staff. This increase is expected to be reflected in October pay. In addition, intermediate pay bands will be created for Band 8 and 9 staff. In line with national guidance UHS will also offer back pay payments to be spread out over six months if individuals request this to help mitigate any impact on universal credit. The offer made to the junior doctors represents a 22.3% uplift over two years. This comprises an additional average of 4.05% for 2023/24 on top of the existing 8.8% implemented last year, taking the average uplift to 13.2%. In addition, 2024/25 pay would increase by an average of 12.4% against current 2023/24 payscales. The British Medical Association junior doctors committee recommends acceptance of this offer. Voting opened on 19 August and closes on 15 September 2024. The Government has also announced its intention to repeal the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023, which provides a mechanism to require workers in particular sectors, such as health, education, fire and rescue, and transport, to guarantee certain minimum levels of service during periods of industrial action. This will form part of a range of employment law modifications the government is considering, and the Board will be updated with further details once these are finalised. National Unison Campaign – Collective Pay Grievance for Healthcare Support Workers During August, UHS formally received a collective grievance relating to pay for Healthcare Support Workers (HCSWs). This is a national campaign led by UNISON pushing for recognition of duties carried out by these staff, formal re-grading of pay band, and appropriate back pay. UHS has over 1,200 individuals in these roles. The Chief People Officer is formally meeting with UNISON to discuss how the matter can be resolved. Whilst this is a national campaign, we have been told not to expect national resolution and Trusts have been directed to resolve locally as appropriate. Civil Unrest The nation experienced significant violent and racially motivated civil unrest during August. Farright anti-immigration rallies were planned in a number of cities across the UK, including Southampton. Healthcare workers had been directly targeted in some parts of the country by farright groups. This understandably generated fear and concern from our black, minority ethnic communities which was raised through various routes to leaders at the Trust. Communication was sent by the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Nursing Officer to all staff setting out our stance on the situation and proposed practical measures, coupled with local support from managers to those who were concerned. Led by the Chief Nurse through the Trust's incident management process, we rapidly implemented practical measures in addition to wider wellbeing and psychological support. Measures included additional security, additional transport and other local actions to help with people's safe journey to work on the day of planned demonstrations. Friday prayers were also attended by the Chief Medical Officer and the Director of OD and Inclusion to provide support to our Muslim communities. The unsavoury events have also triggered a collective drive to push again to focus on the violence and aggression issues at UHS. Staff still experience unacceptable violence, aggression and hate crimes by patients and service users at UHS and across the whole NHS. A multistakeholder workshop, including police partners, is planned for 2 October 2024 to re-energise Page 2 of 9 delivery of our existing commitments. We also want to use the expertise and advice of a range of people to explore and plan where we can go further and be bolder with this important agenda. At the national level, NHS England wrote to all integrated care boards, NHS trusts and foundation trusts, GP and dental practices, pharmacy contractors, and general ophthalmic service contractors on 12 August 2024 emphasising the NHS position that ‘discrimination is unacceptable, and the NHS should have a zero tolerance of racism towards our patients and colleagues’. NHS England also sets out some guidance in the following areas for organisations to listen to and support affected staff: • Ensuring staff can access the support they need • Involving staff networks in the organisational response • Dealing with instances of racism and discrimination • Demonstrating ongoing commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion The response can be read at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/nhs-response-to-2024-riots/ Hampshire Together HM Government has announced that it is pausing approval of the business cases for the ’40 new hospitals’, of which Hampshire Hospitals is one. Public consultation had recently been completed and submission of the final business case was anticipated before the end of this year but the timing of submission and approval of the business case is now uncertain pending the national review. Separately, the ‘Save Winchester Action Group’ has written to board members of HIOW ICB with concerns regarding the proposed changes at Winchester Hospital, specifically around the loss of acute services from the Winchester site. The overall programme was discussed at the ICS board meeting on 4 September 2024. The executive has a planned session with Hampshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust executives at the end of September to discuss ideas around future models for services across all sites. Maternity Services Safe and Sustainable Staffing In August 2024, the Trust produced a briefing paper for the Care Quality Commission which provided a summary of the Trust’s action plan in respect of staffing of its Maternity services. The paper is attached as Appendix A. CQC Annual Hospital Inpatients Survey On 21 August 2024, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published its adult inpatient survey for 2023. The survey examines the experiences of people over 16 who stayed at least one night in hospital during November 2023. The results showed a deterioration in people’s experiences of inpatient care since 2020, although the results for 2023 remained broadly consistent with those in 2022 and 2021. Most respondents reported a positive experience in their interactions with doctors and nurses, such as being treated with respect, dignity, kindness and compassion and being included in conversations. However, discharge from hospital remains a challenging part of people’s experience of care, with 29% saying that they had little to no involvement in decisions about their discharge, and only 48% saying that they were given enough notice about when they were going to leave. In addition, 23% of elective patients said they would have liked to have been admitted ‘a bit sooner’ and 19% ‘a lot sooner’, and 43% of elective patients believed that their health had deteriorated while waiting to be admitted. Page 3 of 9 The survey results can be viewed at: https://www.cqc.org.uk/publications/surveys/adult-inpatientsurvey Annual Regulation and Oversight Survey NHS Providers published the results of its annual regulation and oversight survey on 8 August 2024. According to the survey, trust leaders had reported an increased regulatory burden during the year, particularly noting a lack of coordination between regulators and questioning whether reporting requirements are proportionate or realistic. There were also questions as to whether regulators appropriately recognised the level of risks trusts had been absorbing in balancing the demands of financial and operational performance. Seventy-two per cent of trust leaders believed that the burden of integrated care board (ICB) regulation had increased, compared to 48% from NHS England and 36% from CQC. Less than a third of trusts were comfortable with the role of ICBs as performance managers and 62% saw their activity as duplicating that of NHS England. Respondents also questioned CQC’s credibility, feeling its judgements were not objective enough and inspection teams lacked sector-specific expertise. In addition, the majority of trust leaders would like to see a move away from the CQC’s one-word ratings, seeing it as too simplistic, often demoralising for staff, and confusing for patients. The survey report can be viewed at: https://nhsproviders.org/a-pivotal-moment-for-regulationregulation-and-oversight-survey-2024 Cass Review Implementation On 7 August 2024, NHS England published its plan to implement the advice from the Cass Review – the review of gender identity services for children and young people. This plan includes establishment of regional centres and changes to the referrals process to help trusts to deliver holistic, therapeutic and evidence-based care. The implementation plan can be read at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/children-andyoung-peoples-gender-services-implementing-the-cass-review-recommendations/ The Trust continues discussions with NHS England regarding whether Southampton could or should be one of these new regional centres. Aseptic Preparation Audit On 1 August 2024, the Trust was informed of the outcome of the external audit of unlicensed preparation of medicines for the pharmacy aseptic unit at Southampton General Hospital conducted on 4 June 2024. The unit’s operation was assessed as posing a low risk with respect to the quality of the medicines produced within it. The report also stated that the unit ‘is well managed and has good pharmaceutical quality systems in place’. Human Tissue Authority (HTA) inspection The HTA conducted an inspection of our mortuary arrangements in August. The formal feedback report has not been received but informal feedback has been shared by the inspection team. We expect the report to have no significant findings but we do anticipate a number of minor procedural and documentation recommendations. The inspection team advised us that the failings at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells mortuary which enabled criminal activity to go unnoticed have triggered a recent ‘raising of the bar’, particularly regarding security / access arrangements. We will share the final inspection report when it is received, along with our response and action plan. Page 4 of 9 Appendix A UHS Briefing Paper to CQC Title: Maternity Services Safe and Sustainable Staffing Sponsor: Gail Byrne, Chief Nursing Officer Author(s): Emma Northover, Director of Midwifery Carly Springate, Head of Midwifery Marie Cann, Maternity and Neonatal Safety Lead Date: August 2024 Purpose: The purpose of this report is to note the current challenges in maternity staffing and provide assurance on the mitigations to maintain appropriate and safe staffing levels, which, in turn, ensures the delivery and support of high-quality care. Issue(s) to be addressed: Over recent weeks and months our Maternity Service has faced significant operational challenges, leading to more frequent than usual service diversions. This has led to impacts not only on the experience of our families and staff but across the wider Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS). As from the beginning of July 2024, UHS Maternity Services have escalated to OPEL 4 on 23 occasions from the start of this year. Across the whole of 2023 OPEL 4 was declared 28 times. This shows a significant increase in service pressure that our Maternity Service is experiencing with staffing and acuity accounting for the majority of incidents. Whilst we are compliant with providing 1:1 care in active labour and we are safe, we are seeing an increase in other reportable red flags such as delays in induction and being unable to facilitate birthplace choices. In terms of our current position, staffing levels across the Maternity Service have remained challenging with vacancy rates across the registered workforce currently sit around 14%, equating to around 30 Whole Time Equivalents (WTE). Addressing these staffing challenges will require a coordinated effort and it is hoped that by collaborating with our partners we can develop a more comprehensive and effective approach to improving workforce provision. The enclosed plan of action sets out to address the staffing issues as much as possible until the newly qualified midwives start and vacancy is significantly reduced The DoM and the Senior Midwifery Leadership Team are committed to ensuring safe and sustainable staffing levels across UHS Maternity Services. We remain open and honest around our changing clinical environment as well as being sensitive and responsive to any rapidly changing picture. Escalation processes and frameworks are robust and well established. Further to this we have excellent engagement from our 1|Page Page 5 of 9 Maternity Safety Champions with whom we meet with regularly. This includes full support from Gail Byrne, Chief Nursing Officer and Executive Maternity Safety Champion, and Tim Peachey, Non-Executive Director and Maternity Safety Champion, who together ensure that the DoM has a platform and a voice at Trust Board. Despite the immediate challenges in respect of the Maternity Services workforce at UHS, we are looking to offer assurances to the CQC in terms of the actions both short and longer term that are being taken and the mitigations in place to reduce harm and maintain safety to our service users. Risks (top 3) of carrying out the change or not: Summary/ conclusion • 285 - Red 20 Maternity Staffing during peaks of activity • 259 - Red 16 Capacity and Demand in Maternity Services • 617 - Orange 12 Lack of postnatal care provision (staffing) • 815 - Red 15 Poor compliance with NICE guidance for Antenatal Bookings The CQC are asked to review this report and the mitigations in place and seek further assurance if required. Page 6 of 9 2|Page Maternity Staffing Action Plan Issue/Action Progress Lead Date 1. Following a successful newly • Our current preceptorship programme (18 months in hos- Practice Aug 2024 qualified midwife recruitment pital) has been recently reviewed in terms of content and Education lead drive, 34 WTE band 5 midwives structure to ensure that these staff are retained. to join UHS Maternity Services in November 2024. 2. Utilisation of contingency • Provides contingency measures in releasing and redeploy- Head of Aug 2024 framework ing additional staff. Midwifery RAG G 3. Utilise birthrate plus as a • The last assessment of UHS Maternity Services by BR+ in Director of framework for workforce planning 2018 suggested an overall clinical establishment based on Midwifery and strategic decision making a midwife V birth ratio of 1:24, calculated against an annual birth rate of 5500 births. This is soon to be recalculated Sept 2024 A 4. Increased staff support in the • We have retained 100% of our newly qualified preceptees Head of Aug 2024 G clinical environment in addition to who started with us in November 2023. Midwifery pastoral and psychological Practice support to enhance retention of Education Lead the workforce. 5. The senior leadership team, • To review how we maintain this going forward to ensure Director of Aug 2024 G including the Director of sustainability Midwifery / Chief Midwifery (DoM), commit to a Nursing Officer high number of out-of-hours on- calls to support the service when in escalation and when staffing does not match the acuity and activity across the acute clinical areas. 3|Page Page 7 of 9 6. Two fixed term matron roles have • This provides additional cushioning to the matron team and Director of been appointed to oversee a development opportunity for our existing workforce. Midwifery antenatal and postnatal pathways. 7. Development of a systematic • This live data is reflective of total staff unavailability in- Maternity process for workforce planning in clude vacancy rates, sickness ratios, maternity leave, and Business the form of a monthly dashboard. study time, all of which is compared alongside the budg- Support eted versus actual staffing establishment overall. Manager 8. The labour ward coordinator will • This enables the labour ward coordinator to have continu- Head of not take responsibility for any ous oversight of their clinical environment and oversee Midwifery patients, or cover breaks for other safety. members of staff. 9. An extensive listening exercise • To align with current service needs, and with staff wellbe- Director of has been undertaken place to ing as a central focus, the DoM and Senior Midwifery Midwifery help inform the future direction Leadership Team are reviewing the way the service is de- and structure of the Maternity livered with the potential of a workforce restructure. Service workforce. 10. 12 – 16 Registered nurses are to • Divisions seeking staff who are interested in supporting Director of be seconded to maternity in this and with the right skillset. Midwifery interim period to help release midwife time with roles such high • A review will be undertaken to see if this could be a dependency, vaccination, longer-term proposition to support the maternity workforce fundamentals of care 11. Dedicated programmes for career • Our prime focus is to consider new ways in which we can Director of development starting at band 2 future proof our Maternity Services going forward, whilst Midwifery and progressing to band 9. investing in our people. 12. A NHSP Incentive Scheme has been agreed to run over the summer months • This action has enabled staff to feel valued and appreciated Director of for all their gestures of good will and their contributions to Midwifery Page 8 of 9 Aug 2024 G Aug 2024 G Aug 2024 G Aug 2024 A Aug 2024 A Aug 2024 A Aug 2024 A 4|Page the workforce that are worked outside of contractual commitments. 13. A review to look at tipping points • Contact to be made with the ED to review learning and any Head of (as happens in Emergency processes and systems. Midwifery Department) to be scoped introduced 14. A roster review will be • Full review of the roster template to ensure fit for purpose Maternity undertaken to ensure the correct and staff allocated correctly. Business staffing levels and skills are in Support place. Manager Aug 2024 A Aug 2024 A 15. To introduce legacy midwives • Review of legacy midwives roles and recruitment Director of Aug 2024 A (recently retired midwives) to processes. Midwifery support newly qualified staff and Practice education Education Lead R Red: Immediate remedial action required A Amber: Action in progress G Green: Complete Page 9 of 9 5|Page Report to the Trust Board of Directors Title: Agenda item: Sponsor: Author: Date: Purpose: Issue to be addressed: Patient Safety and Quality of Care in Pressurised Services 5.5 Joe Teape, Chief Operating Officer Duncan Linning-Karp, Deputy Chief Operating Officer 10 September 2024 Assurance Approval or reassurance X Ratification Information Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) services are under significant pressure nationally, with some high-profile cases of poor care highlighted, including in the press. In response NHSE has asked Trust Boards to assure themselves that they are doing all they can to: • Provide alternatives to emergency department attendance and admission, especially for those frail older people who are better served with a community response in their usual place of residence. • Maximise in-hospital flow with appropriate streaming, senior decision-making and board and ward rounds regularly throughout the day, and timely discharge, regardless of the pathway a patient is leaving hospital or a community bedded facility on. Response to the issue: This paper will outline UHS’s response to the above issues, including the improvement programmes focused on flow and the Emergency Department, the response to the UEC recovery plan year two document, work taking place across the local system and mitigations that take place when the Emergency Department becomes over-crowded. Implications: Clinical, organisational, governance, legal (Clinical, Organisational, Governance, Legal?) Risks: (Top 3) of carrying out the change / or not: • Harm to patients in the Emergency Department through prolonged waits and / or overcrowding. • Harm to patients who remain in hospital longer than necessary because of delayed discharge. • Harm to patients on an elective waiting list who are delayed because of a lack of capacity due to high levels of patients not meeting the criteria to reside. Summary: Conclusion Trust Board is asked to note this report. and/or recommendation Page 1 of 10 Introduction NHS England wrote to all NHS Trusts (see Appendix 1) to ask Trust Boards to assure themselves that Trusts, and wider systems, were doing all they can to reduce demand on Emergency Departments, improve flow across the UEC pathways including out of hospital, ensure basic standards of care are in place across all care settings and ensure executive visibility and leadership, and non-executive presence. This paper provides assurance to the Board, addressing the key requests outlined in the letter and benchmarks UHS’s response to the year two UEC plan. It also outlines work taking place in the local system to support admission avoidance and reduce delayed discharge. Finally, it outlines mitigations the organisation has put in place to manage risk at times when the Emergency Department (ED) is overcrowded, and to support flow through the hospital. Patient Safety and Quality of Care in Pressurised Services NHSE wrote to all Trusts to outline key actions Boards were required to assure themselves on to ensure patient safety and quality of care is maintained in pressurised services. The table below outlines those actions and UHS’s compliance against them. Request Provide alternatives to emergency department attendance and admission, especially for those frail older people who are better served with a community response in their usual place of residence. Maximise in-hospital flow with appropriate streaming, senior decision-making and board and ward rounds regularly throughout the day, and timely discharge, regardless of the pathway a patient is leaving hospital or a community bedded facility on. Their organisations and systems are implementing the actions set out in the UEC Recovery Plan year 2 letter. Basic standards of care, based on the CQC’s fundamental standards, are in place in all care settings. Services across the whole system are supporting flow out of ED and out of hospital, including making full and appropriate use of the Better Care Fund. Executive teams and Boards have visibility of the Seven Day Hospital Services audit results, as set out in the relevant Board Assurance Framework guidance. There is consistent, visible, executive leadership across the UEC pathway and appropriate escalation protocols in place Assurance There are community alternatives in place, including Urgent Community Response and virtual wards. More work is taking place to set-up Integrated Neighbourhood Teams. In-hospital flow is something UHS is continuously seeking to improve via the inpatient flow programme, focusing on all aspects of flow within the hospital’s control and ensuring patients only remain in hospital when necessary. Ward rounds take place daily with appropriate input from a senior decision maker. UHS is compliant with these actions, outlined in the following section. Fundamentals of care standards have been rolled out across the organisation. A CQC Oversight Group, chaired by the CNO, provides assurance on compliance against the standards. The wider system does support flow out of ED and the wider hospital, and the Better Care fund is used. However, the system continues to struggle with a high number of patients remaining in hospital who do not meet the criteria to reside. Seven Day Hospital Services are reported via the annual Quality Account to the Board and the Trust is compliant. A further audit is due in 2024. There is consistent, visible executive leadership across the UEC pathway including a fortnightly ED meeting chaired Page 2 of 10 every day of the week at both trust and system level. Regular non-executive director safety walkabouts take place where patients are asked about their experiences in real time and these are relayed back to the Board. by the Chief Executive, a monthly UEC Board chaired by the COO, a monthly CQC Oversight meeting chaired by the CNO and regular executive walkabouts. UHS has an internal escalation plan as does the wider system. The Trust appointed a clinical Director for Urgent and Emergency Care. Non-executive directors undertake walkabouts as part of Trust Board. Year two UEC Plan Benchmarking against the second year of the UEC plan shows that UHS is compliant against the key metrics. There has, however, been a reduction rather than an increase in some out of hospital capacity because of the financial challenges facing the ICB, Local Authorities and wider system. Request 1A. Maintain acute G&A beds at the level funded and agreed through operating plans in 2023/24. 1B. Maintain ambulance capacity and support the development of services that reduce ambulance conveyances to acute hospitals. 1C. Focus on reduction in ambulance handover delays to support system flow. 1D. Expand bedded and non-bedded intermediate care capacity, to support improvements in hospital discharge and enable community step-up care. 1E. Improve access to virtual wards through improvements in utilisation, access from home pathways, and a focus on frailty, acute respiratory infection, heart failure, and children and young people. 2A. Focus on reductions in admitted and non-admitted time in ED. Assurance UHS’s 2024/25 plan included the dual aspirations of halving the number of patients not meeting the criteria to reside and reducing length of stay by 5%. If these were both met, it is unlikely that we would require all current beds. However, while beds that are not needed would not be staffed, they will remain available if needed. In recent months routine surge capacity has remained closed b
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