Key Findings and Improvements in Quality of Care at ULH NHS Trust

2. A message from our Chairman, Paul Richardson: On 6 February 2013, the Prime Minister asked Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS England Medical Director, to review the quality of the care and treatment provided to patients by our Trust (along with 13 other NHS organisations). The 14 Trusts were selected because of higher than expected mortality rates between 2010 and 2012. In June 2013, the Keogh Review recommended 57 different ways that we could improve the quality of our services. The full detail these recommendations can be found here: ULHT Rapid Response Review Report. In July 2013, our Trust attended a risk summit to discuss the findings of the Keogh Review and to agree an action plan for our most urgent recommendations. The key findings and action plan can be found here: Risk Summit Action Plan. While we take forward our plans to address all of our recommendations, we have been placed in ‘special measures’. This document provides a brief snapshot of the key findings for our Trust, how we are making these improvements and how our progress is being overseen and supported. It focusses on short-term improvements to immediate issues. However, our improvement plans go beyond the Keogh deadline dates – ensuring that when we are inspected by the Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Prof Sir Mike Richards, our progress will be evident. Once the actions identified here have been completed, we will set out a longer-term plan to maintain progress and ensure that the actions lead to measurable improvements in the quality and safety of care for our patients. A monthly update to this document will be published on our website, regular updates will appear on NHS Choices and subsequent longer term actions will be included as part of a continuous process of improvement. Every single member of staff employed by our Trust can help improve the quality of our services. The changes we are collectively making for our patients have been agreed by our Trust Board, and are being driven on a day-to-day basis by Jane Lewington, our Chief Executive. Jane is being supported by our dedicated and committed staff , our Executive Team and our Board. Further external support is being provided by Jeff Worrall, Portfolio Director at the NHS Trust Development Authority. In 2014, our success in implementing the recommendations of the Keogh Review will be independently assessed by Professor Sir Mike Richards, the Chief Inspector of Hospitals. If you have any questions about the improvements we are making, you can contact Jane Lewington, our Chief Executive, on jane.lewington@ULH.nhs.uk. If you want to contact Jeff Worrall, Portfolio Director at the NHS Trust Development Authority, as an external expert, you can reach him on jeff.worrall@nhs.net. I look forward to keeping you updated on our improvements over the coming months. Yours sincerely, Paul Richardson Chairman, United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust November 2013