Monthly column: Andrew Morgan, chief executive
Posted on: 7th August 2018
Without wanting to tempt fate, August has got a lot to live up to because July will be a tough act to follow.
Every month is busy for us in one way or another at Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust but there has been a great deal to celebrate over the last few weeks.
The month kicked off with numerous activities in honour of the NHS’s 70th anniversary, includingvarious tea parties, raffles, balls and dinner dances, all organised by our various community-based teams across Lincolnshire.
Celebrations are still ongoing but I’m confident that between them, our staff will have raised thousands for our Charitable Funds and other worthy causes.
I was really humbled to be able to be among those representing Lincolnshire to attend the special NHS70 service at Westminster Abbey with Maria Storti, one of our long-serving matrons.
July also saw us welcome a team of inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), who have been undertaking a ‘Well Led’ inspection on our organisation as a whole.
This is a new style of inspection, which is carried out through a series of one-to-one meetings, focus groups and other visits.
These run alongside the more traditional inspections relating to care that you may have read about previously, which are still undertaken within core services.
Early feedback has been positive but we await the final outcome of the inspection. We look forward to sharing the findings with you all in due course.
Finally, we received confirmation of having three entries shortlisted in the Community Hospitals Associations’ Innovation and Best Practice Awards. These all relate to Scotter Ward at John Coupland Hospital in Gainsborough.
The entries recognise their creation of bereavement sleeves for grieving families, which includes discreet information on what procedures happen next, but also includes comforting verse and a packet of forget me not seeds, their use of social media to share best practice and the creation of ward staff support sessions.
Fingers crossed for the awards ceremony on November 8.