News

Across our Trust, teams are finding new ways to improve care for patients and make the best use of our resources. From helping stroke patients return home sooner, to improving how everyday products are used, these staff-led ideas, both big and small, are starting to make a difference.  

To support this work, we've launched our ‘Better patient care. Better value for money’ campaign, providing our staff with guidance, training and opportunities to share ideas that could improve care while helping us meet our financial target.  

We're   facing significant financial challenges and need to save £40million this   financial year. To help achieve this, teams are demonstrating how innovation, collaboration and a focus on quality to improve care can deliver better value for money.  

"The device can make a huge difference to someone's recovery and quality of life, while also helping them leave hospital sooner and continue their recovery at home." 

Vicky and Archana both found ways to streamline product usage. Critical Care Nurse Vicky Sullivan   improved the dressings used to secure medical lines. Instead of using two dressings, it's been replaced by one single clear dressing that helps staff more easily identify potential signs of infections 

It's expected to deliver annual savings of around £12,000.    

Healthcare Assistant Archana improved the use of incontinence products by promoting best practice and ensuring they are used appropriately. In improving patient comfort and reducing the risk of skin   damage, her initiative will deliver annual savings of around £13,000.     

She said:  

"This started   from   noticing something in everyday practice and asking whether there was a better way. Small improvements can make a real difference when everyone works together to make them happen."     

Following its success in General ITU, the approach is now being explored in other areas of our hospitals. 

There is growing recognition in the NHS that many patients can be switched from IV treatment to oral medicines sooner, helping improve comfort, reduce the risks associated with IV lines and support earlier discharge from hospital.

Pharmacy and clinical teams are focusing on switching patients from IV paracetamol to oral alternatives when clinically appropriate, which could save around £48,000 a year.  

They are also working to reduce unnecessary IV antibiotic use. A 10 per cent reduction could save around £223,000 annually while ensuring patients continue to receive safe and effective treatment.  

Some of our large-scale  programmes  involve our community partners too.     

Teams across our Emergency Departments, frailty services, wards, Bed and Site teams and community partners have worked together to reduce the amount of time patients are treated in corridors. As a result, patients spent around 16,000 fewer hours receiving corridor care in February and March 2026 at Queen's Hospital compared with the same period the previous year; and we saved £150,000 on temporary staffing in February alone. 

Lorraine Hooper, Director of Financial Turnaround, said:  

"The NHS is facing significant financial pressures, and we have a challenging savings target to deliver this year. What gives me confidence is seeing the commitment and expertise of colleagues across BHRUT.  

"The projects highlighted here show how improving patient care and making the best use of our resources can go hand in hand. They are helping patients, supporting staff and making better use of our resources at the same time.  

"However, we know there is still a lot to do to save £40million. While these initiatives are a great start, they are only part of the solution. Alongside the ideas and improvements being developed by frontline teams, our senior leaders are leading larger programmes of work that will help us deliver the scale of change needed."