Report of Sheena Ramsey, Chief Executive and Alice Wiseman, Director of Public Health

Representatives of Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust and CNTW NHS Foundation Trust will provide the OSC with a presentation in relation to their respective Quality Accounts.

Appendix 1 – Gateshead Health NHS FT Quality Account 2022-23 (Pages 11 – 93)

Appendix 2 – CNTW NHS FT Quality Account 2022-23 (Pages 95 – 226)

The Committee received a presentation from Jane Conroy, Head of Midwifery, and Drew Rayner, Deputy Chief Nurse, on the Gateshead Health NHS Trust, Quality Accounts 2022-23.

Based on the Committee’s knowledge of the work of the Trust during 2022-23, the Committee was able to comment as follows:

Quality Priorities for 2023-24 

OSC is supportive of the Trust’s proposed Quality Priorities for Improvement.

Progress Against Quality Priorities for 2022-23

OSC expressed its thanks to all the Trust’s staff and volunteers for its excellent work in continuing to make some real improvements in quality and safety whilst still facing significant challenges. Areas to particularly note were around the increase in the number of nursing staff and overseas nurses as well as an increase in volunteer numbers. Although there is further work continuing in this area, progress was good.

The Trust has carried out some good work around patients as partners in improvement, holding co-design improvement workshops and working collaboratively with ISB / Gateshead Place to establish a Patient Forum. The Trust has maintained its focus on the health and wellbeing of staff particularly focusing on enhanced staff offers during very busy periods and achieved the Better Health at Work Silver Award during the year. OSC also noted it is working towards the Gold award. 

In addition, the Trust has in place an overarching Equality and Diversity Objections action plan for Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) and Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) and has trained 9 Cultural Ambassadors to be utilised during disciplinary processes where BME members of staff are involved.

The Trust has taken forward work to maximise safety in maternity services and has a fully staffed maternity unit. The Trust has made good progress in terms of improving the experiences of service users with Learning Disabilities and Mental Health needs and acknowledged that further work is continuing around clinical coding.

The Trust has worked towards, and will continue to promote, a just, open and restorative culture across the organisation. There has been dedicated Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) sessions held and work will continue in this area as part of the 2023/24 priorities.

Maternity Service

OSC sought clarification as to the reasons why an improvement plan was being developed for the Trust’s Maternity Services. OSC was informed that this was following Maternity Services generally coming under a lot of scrutiny across the country with various reports being published in relation to other Trusts that contained a number of actions to be taken forward. A new three-year plan was produced therefore and the Trust has recognised the need to have these pieces of work in one place to facilitate good strategic oversight and to demonstrate what the Trust is doing in this area.

OSC also enquired about the CQC inspection carried out in February 2023 and it was noted that the Trust is awaiting the outcome of the inspection. OSC asked to be updated on the outcome in due course as part of its work programme.

Volunteers

OSC queried to what extent the growth in volunteers reflected staff shortages and cuts in funding. OSC was informed that, in times of pressure, the Trust recognises that there would not be enough resources to offer additional support to patients and staff without the help and input of volunteers. The OSC was also informed that volunteers can help in terms of recruitment and retention with some people coming into a career in nursing through the volunteering route.

Working with patients as partners in improvement

OSC queried how the Trust is ensuring it hears the voice of those with the most difficult of circumstances and those unlikely to attend engagement workshops. OSC was informed that this is included within wider health inequality work, where Trust representatives are proactively going out to meet patients in their own communities. There are also a number of mechanisms for patient and family feedback which is used to inform service change.

Health and Wellbeing of Staff

OSC sought to understand how the cost of living crisis has been taken into account in terms of the wellbeing of staff at the Trust. The Trust continues to support its staff and is aiming to tailor its staff health and wellbeing initiatives further so that staff can get the most from them.

CQC Inspection Outcomes

OSC noted that the Care Quality Commission has not taken enforcement action against Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust during 2022-23.

RESOLVED    -           That the information be noted and thanks of the OSC be

passed on to colleagues in the Trust.