Black Country NHS trusts set out strategies for next five years
The importance of helping hospital waiting lists recover cannot be underestimated, say health bosses as two NHS trusts outline their priorities for the next five years.
Two Black Country NHS Trusts have launched a joint vision for the future with a focus on staff, patients and health inequalities.
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust have been working together on what priorities will be embedded across both organisations after being formally announced on Monday.
The two trusts have been working more closely together since Professor David Loughton CBE was asked to undertake the role of Interim Chief Executive of Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust in April 2021 and became permanent Group Chief Executive in April.
Their new joint vision is to ‘deliver exceptional care together to improve the health and wellbeing of our communities’ and they have agreed four strategic aims, referred to as the four Cs - Care, Colleagues, Collaboration and Communities.
The four Cs and joint vision reflect the closer working relationship between the two trusts under the leadership of joint chair Professor Steve Field CBE and Professor Loughton.
Professor Field said: “The strategy covers an extraordinary time in the history of the NHS as it continues to be heavily influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“As well as continuing to meet the changing demands of Covid-19, we are also committed to recovering our services and, specifically, the waiting lists for planned care.
"The challenge in doing so cannot be underestimated. This strategy helps form our plans for the next five years.”
Professor Loughton said: “This is our first joint vision since we started working closely together. So far, the closer working has proven to have many benefits for our communities, and we hope to strengthen that.
“A vision is more than a few words – it reflects our aspirations, helps to guide our planning, supports our decision making, prioritises our resources and aims to attract new colleagues.
“We have a lot to be proud of and to be excited by. We have two fantastic Trusts working hard to improve the health and wellbeing of our communities.
“There are lots of significant opportunities ahead, including new facilities and services. These will support our ambitions to become a leading digitally enabled teaching organisation that delivers great care to our patients.
“This new chapter enables us to work together to provide the best care for the Black Country population.”
The full strategy can be read by going to royalwolverhampton.nhs.uk/about-us/our-joint-trust-strategy.
