Dear colleague,

This week NHS England (NHSE) has published 'league tables' for all NHS trusts.  It follows on from the launch of the NHS Oversight Framework 2025/26 earlier this year which sets out how NHSE assesses trusts based on a range of metrics aligned to the NHS priorities.

Providers are then placed into 1 of 4 segments, with trusts in the recovery support programme placed in segment 5. We sit firmly mid-table - 57th out of 134 acute trusts, and in segment 3. This is better than we would have seen a few years ago, when we would have been near the bottom of the table (if not bottom...) in segment 5.

We are scored on access to services, effectiveness and experience of care, patient safety, finance and productivity, and people and workforce.

I’m delighted we were scored in segment 1 (high performing) for access to services and effectiveness and scored 2 (above average) for people and workforce. However, we scored lower for finance and productivity, and for patient safety, and we know where we must focus to move up the table.

If our money was in better shape we would have been in segment 2, however no trust in deficit can be above segment 3. 

As you may have read in my latest Board report, together with my senior leaders we are focusing on cutting bank staff usage and ensuring that each month every department keep within their budget.

It’s encouraging to know that the improvements in our performance would have seen us higher placed and I’m confident that with sustained focus on our financial recovery, we can achieve a better position in the rankings in the future. 

Treating tonsils in tons of kids

Congratulations to colleagues who’ve completed a mammoth project to take out the tonsils of 648 children in just three months – a caseload that would usually take two years.

A huge amount of planning went into the project that saw adults on the day surgery unit Monday to Wednesday, then staff transforming it overnight to create a child-friendly atmosphere with colourful signage, pictures and a play area. 

Our teams also worked together to plan for more complex cases, including children with learning difficulties, who were cared for on our children’s ward after their operation.

It’s a fantastic achievement and most importantly, reduced our waiting list from almost 800 children, some of whom had waited more than a year for tonsillectomies and other ear, nose and throat procedures, to around 100 children who can be treated within two months.

Well done to everyone involved. 

Long Service awards 

Lastly, this week I had the privilege of presenting our long service awards to staff who have been with us for ten years upwards – including to an incredible three colleagues who have been here for 40 years!

With more than 7,885 years between them, they shared some inspiring stories of the changes they’d seen over the years and why they stayed at the Trust.

These colleagues are part of the fabric of the organisation, and I’d like to thank them all for their dedication and commitment.

Best wishes,

Matthew Trainer
Chief Executive