Hello all,  

In August we received recognition for our cancer staging data work and were shortlisted by the Royal College of Midwives for a prestigious award. We also opened the new Macmillan Therapy Garden Summerhouse and celebrated some brilliant staff achievements. There was also a further period of industrial action from our Nursing Assistants and Maternity Support Workers.

Our services  

Performance

Diagnosing cancer earlier is one of the most important factors affecting patient outcomes and measuring data on the stage at which diagnosis takes place is a key part of the NHS’s aims nationally. This month the Trust was congratulated by NHS England for reaching/exceeding 80% stage completeness in the Cancer Outcomes and Services Dataset (COSD) submissions for the whole of 2023. This is a significant achievement and is directly attributable to the hard work of clinical and administrative staff in our cancer teams.

Following a month-on-month improvement in our ED performance since April, in the first half of August, the Trust’s four-hour standard figures improved substantially to over 80%, despite an increase in attendances. We know there is more work to do to improve our emergency care resilience as we progress into winter.

In August, the Trust also continued to focus on eliminating 65 week waits for our patients by the end of September 2024. Despite progress at the end of 2023/24, unfortunately industrial action and incidences affecting theatre capacity have impacted our plans. We have taken a number of actions to drive this work forward including reprioritising theatre capacity to services with the highest number of long waiting patients, seeking mutual aid from local providers and utilising the Acute Trust Provider Collaborative to refer more patients into the Surrey Heartlands elective centre.

RCM award

This month our maternity team was shortlisted for the prestigious Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Excellence in Midwifery for Public Health Award. The award recognises the team’s brilliant work on the Health Inclusion Midwifery Service which helps support local pregnant asylum seekers and those resettling in the nearby area. The project has not only reduced Did Not Attend (DNA) rates but has created a space where women who have experienced significant trauma feel they have professionals they can trust, which is so important. The success of this project has been made possible by the strong partnerships formed with local Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs), as well as the local authority. The RCM Awards, which take place in October, are regarded as one of the highest accolades within the midwifery field, so making the shortlist is a considerable achievement and a reflects the hard work and dedication of our maternity team.

NHS England Pharmacy visit

We recently hosted a visit from the NHSE Hospital Pharmacy Modernisation Lead, which proved to be an exceptionally positive and productive meeting in which we showcased the innovative work we are doing within pharmacy, including our focus on digital transformation, clinical risk mitigation and collaboration with external partners. The discussions highlighted our commitment to advancing patient care and operational efficiency, while also identifying valuable opportunities for future development, such as the integration of dispensing robots and addressing workforce challenges.

Our partners  

Committee in Common

Our work as part of the Trust Provider Collaborative in Surrey has been moving at pace over the summer months, and the Committee in Common we are a part of with other Trusts in the area, has been undertaking a stocktake of its transformation work and priorities for the coming years. We have now confirmed our key transformation programmes and have started to take steps to bring planned care into the collaborative to further improve access to care in Surrey. Significant benefits are being seen within our collective mental health programmes across the system, and as a Trust, we have recently referred more patients into the Surrey Heartlands elective centre to reduce waiting times for some of our surgical patients.

Endoscopy network

As part of the Trust Provider Collaborative, I am the SRO, supporting executive lead, Anouska Adamson-Parks on the transformation programme for Endoscopy, which includes developing an endoscopy network to look at how we can standardise pathways, processes and address unwarranted variation for patients. Through this work we will improve patient access, outcomes and efficiency which will move us closer to being able to diagnose cancer earlier and treat patients more quickly. We have made some great progress in recent weeks and are excited about recent appointments to the endoscopy network itself, which will mean that we can move into delivery phase with clinical leadership at the forefront of this great programme.

ICB visit

In August we hosted Dr Charlotte Canniff, a Surrey GP and the joint Chief Medical Officer for Surrey Heartlands ICB. She came to hear from some of our teams including our theatre team, frailty team, Holmwood ward / AMU, neonatal unit, the emergency department and the site team, about our current priorities and challenges they are facing. At the end of her visit Charlotte told me how great it was to meet such a passionate group of people who clearly show their commitment to the delivery of great care for patients despite the sometimes difficult circumstances.

Trust news  

Macmillan Therapy Garden Summerhouse opening

We kicked off August with the official opening of the new Macmillan Therapy Garden Summerhouse – which aims to support those undergoing cancer treatment at East Surrey by enabling them to feel the therapeutic benefits of a relaxing garden all year round, a direct contrast to the clinical hospital settings they often spend their time in. This new addition will especially benefit those undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy at SASH, as they can now experience the garden's environment without exposure to direct sunlight. The summerhouse was made possible thanks the remarkable fundraising efforts of our very own SASH Charity, who held a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Mayor of Reigate and Banstead, the project supporters and all those who made it possible. You can find out more about SASH Charity, their recent work and upcoming fundraisers on their website and in their new monthly newsletter.

Staff recognition stories

Throughout August we have been celebrating on our website the recent success stories and achievements across the Trust. One of those stories was that of Ted Paice, an apprentice in our Estates team, who with his mentor, Senior Mechanical Engineer Pete Woodhouse, exemplifies the spirit of learning and excellence that drives our teams forward. Despite being a new apprentice Ted has already made waves with his exceptional talent and commitment – catching the attention of both his peers and industry professionals. He has become a shining example of the talent and dedication within our Estates team. His story is a reminder that behind every smooth-running facility, there are individuals who go above and beyond, not just for the job at hand, but for the future of SASH and its’ patients.

Taking our work worldwide

This month we said goodbye to Consultant Midwife Kate Stringer, who was recently interviewed by BBC Radio Surrey on her prestigious new role as a Midwife Advisor with the International Confederation of Midwives, based at The Hague. The role will see her collaborate with global partners such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and midwifery associations worldwide. Kate joined SASH in January 2020, and despite the challenges of the pandemic, has supported the Trust to significantly advance its midwifery services – including introducing a Breech Service, forming a dedicated midwifery research team, and leading a team of senior midwives from SASH on a pioneering visit to India - sharing their expertise and experience with their global counterparts. While we will miss her enthusiasm and wealth of expertise, we wish Kate well in her new role.