Humber Health Partnership is moving into the next phase of its improvement work, supported by NHS England through the Intensive Recovery Programme and an independent review by Carnall Farrar. The work has now begun and is expected to conclude over the summer.
Over recent months, clinicians and colleagues from across Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust have worked together to develop a clinically-led Improvement Plan and create a clearer and more joined-up understanding of the long-standing challenges facing the Partnership.
This work has helped bring greater clarity and focus to issues relating to operational performance, workforce pressures, financial sustainability and organisational accountability across both organisations.
As that understanding has developed, the Partnership is now beginning the next phase of work to review whether the current organisational model is the right one to support long-term improvement, stronger accountability and sustainable services for patients and communities across Humber.
The current Group model was established to bring the two organisations closer together and support a more joined-up way of working. While this has brought benefits in some areas, a number of long-standing structural challenges remain.
This next phase includes a clinically led review of how the current operating model is working in practice, alongside independent support through the NHS England Intensive Recovery Programme and the Carnall Farrar review process.
The work will explore what organisational arrangements are most likely to support safe, high-quality and sustainable services over the longer term.
This could include changes to the current operating model, a more formal merger arrangement, alternative organisational structures, or the possibility that separate organisational arrangements may better support future improvement. However, no decisions have been taken at this stage and no preferred option has been agreed.
Alan Downey, Chair of the Humber Health Partnership, said: “We have made important progress over recent months in developing a much clearer understanding of the challenges facing the Partnership and the improvements needed for the future.
“This next phase is about making sure we are equally open and evidence-based in looking at whether our current organisational arrangements are the right ones to support patients, staff and services over the longer term.
“What matters most is not the structure itself, but whether we have the right model in place to support safe, high-quality and sustainable care.”
Lyn Simpson, Group Chief Executive, said: “Many of the challenges facing the Partnership have developed over a number of years and will not be resolved overnight. However, we now have a much stronger and more clinically led understanding of those issues and the changes needed to address them.
“This next phase is about building on that progress and looking carefully at what organisational arrangements are most likely to support better care for patients, clearer accountability and stronger day-to-day delivery in the future.
“We will continue to work closely with our clinicians, staff, partners and NHS England as this work progresses.”
Fiona Edwards, NHSE North East and Yorkshire Regional Director, said: “The involvement of NHS England through the Intensive Recovery Programme reflects the scale and complexity of the long-standing challenges facing the Partnership, rather than the commitment or effort of colleagues and leaders across both organisations.
“The programme is intended to provide additional structure, support and independent perspective in addressing issues that have developed over many years.”
Further engagement with colleagues, stakeholders and partners will take place as the review develops.