Dear colleague,

This week the government published its 10 Year Health Plan: Fit for the Future . 

The plan was shaped by the experiences and expectations of patients, health and care staff, and members of the public across the country, and takes a significantly different approach to healthcare.

It sets out three major shifts in how the NHS works: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from treatment to prevention.

This means we’ll see some activity currently provided in hospitals being delivered closer to home, within communities, improving access and preventing unnecessary hospital admissions. We’ll be making better use of modern digital technology to communicate with patients and giving them more control in managing their health. And we’ll be looking at how we help prevent people from becoming sick by supporting them to live healthier lives.

At BHRUT we’re already contributing to this new approach. We’ve been part of several Barking and Dagenham health and wellbeing events and hospital appointments for women are now available on the high street in Ilford. 

We recently launched our Ageing Well Centre in Havering at the St George’s Health and Wellbeing Hub in Havering, where we also opened our second Community Diagnostic Centre; our first opened last year in Barking Community Hospital. 

And we’re part of an initiative in Redbridge to tackle cardiovascular disease which affects one in three of the borough’s population. Based in the community and working with several other organisations including primary care and the voluntary sector, we’re empowering residents, improving access to care, and reducing avoidable hospital admissions.

Success for our teams - good news for our patients

Our Urogynaecology service has been recognised by NHS England as a specialist commissioned centre (SCC) for complex operations for conditions such as vaginal prolapse and urinary incontinence.

Gynaecological issues make up the majority of our waiting list for women’s-related health conditions – this accreditation means we can get more women across north east London the care they need more quickly and prevent them from having to travel elsewhere for treatment.

We’ve been named Training Hospital of the Year by future surgeons from all three of the main orthopaedic training centres in north east London. 

We’re the first London trust to hold the accolade from all three training rotations simultaneously: The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Percival Potts and the Royal London Hospital.

And striking Gold for a second time on our Ward Accreditation Scheme is Iris ward. Ward accreditation helps us improve and standardise the quality of care given to patients. As Ward Manager Sinead Skelton summed up: ”It’s great news for our patients because it’s formal recognition and assurance that when they come to the ward, they’ll be in a safe environment and receiving exceptional care.”

Congratulations to all the teams for their hard work – the recognition is very well deserved.

A scorcher of a weekend

On Saturday and Sunday  we held our summer family fun days at King George Hospital to say thank you to our staff and their families. 

Hundreds joined the events to enjoy fairground rides, face painting, rock climbing and bouncy castles. After building up an appetite there was a range for food on offer including a BBQ, and thankfully ice cream to help everyone cool down.

A huge thank you to our charity and our suppliers who sponsored the event for making the weekend a huge success. We’re very grateful for their support.

Lastly, my thanks to Ilford South MP and Council Leader Jas Athwal for his support of our £35m campaign to build a new A&E at Queen’s Hospital and put an end to caring for patients in a corridor. 

Best wishes,

Matthew Trainer

Chief Executive