Outgoing Chairman Reflects On Years Supporting Health Community

Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS) Chairman Dr Don White has reflected on his years supporting health services in Lincolnshire.

Dr White stood down this week following his final Board meeting, having served the maximum possible term of four years in the role.

He has led the Trust Board through LCHS’s transition to become an independent NHS Trust, having previously been part of the Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust.

“I have a long personal connection with the NHS,” explained Dr White. “My father was an employee for nearly 40 years from its inception in 1947. I wanted to help in any way I could to develop services in Lincolnshire and working as a Non-Executive Director gave me a way to make a contribution. I could see that the community services provision would have to develop as its own organisation and I hoped that my background in organisational development would assist in that process.”

Dr White believes these changes have been his biggest challenge – and achievement.

He said: “We have faced operational challenges like any other organisation, but to build something new is a major accomplishment. We now have a recognisable NHS Trust, which is valued both locally and nationally. We also have high patient satisfaction scores and continually improving levels of staff satisfaction.”

Dr White says he is also proud of a number of other achievements, including staff awards and other events which recognised LCHS’s achievements, and the trust’s recent Chief Inspector of Hospitals’ Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection, which rated services as ‘Good’.

“Another memorable experience was meeting the relative of a patient who I felt we had let down,” he said. “I’m pleased to say it hasn’t happened often but it reminds us of the importance of seeing the patient behind every statistic we see, the reason we work to deliver the best possible care.

“I have been very proud to be Chairman and I am confident that the organisation will go on to greater things under the leadership of new Chair, Elaine Baylis,” added Dr White.

Dr White, who was previously Dean of Faculty for Business and Law at the University of Lincoln, still has a range of academic interests and hopes to pursue research and development projects.