Shropshire health trust to work with others on vision
NHS bosses have recommended that a Shropshire health trust works with other trusts to shape the future of its services.
Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust (Shropcom), which runs community services and hospitals in the county, had been expected to be acquired by another organisation this year.
The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SATH) and South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (SSSFT) were both in the frame.
But NHS Improvement says it has reviewed the bids put forward under its sustainability review and neither of the neighbouring trusts fully met the agreed criteria to acquire the services.
Shropcom is financially and operationally stable, but reached a decision in November 2016 that it could not guarantee the delivery of sustainable and high quality health and care services in the longer term.
NHS Improvement said it remains in a position to provide safe and effective care while an alternative to meet the agreed criteria is found.
Shropcom provides services ranging from district nursing and health visiting, to physiotherapy and specialist community clinics.
The recommendation put forward by NHS Improvement is for all relevant local partners to be involved in shaping the solution under the umbrella of the area’s Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP).
Fran Steele, regional delivery and improvement director at NHS Improvement, said: “NHS Improvement is absolutely committed to supporting commissioners and the system to deliver high quality, sustainable community services for patients in Shropshire.
"That is why we are recommending that an additional workstream is established within the STP to look specifically at this issue, building on the positive work that has already been done.
Innovative
“Whilst a transaction would be inappropriate at this stage, significant potential patient benefits were identified through both trust bids. We now need to build on this and ensure that the learning and innovative thinking from the process so far is taken forward.
“An independent STP workstream will look at the provision of community services in this context, and with a view to finding the best way forward for patients across the county.
“We are hopeful that work will begin over the summer, and we will update on progress in due course.”
Steve Gregory, executive director of nursing and operations at Shropcom, said: “We have always been clear that Shropcom is not an organisation that is in any kind of trouble.
“Our efforts to find a partner have always been about the longer-term sustainability of our organisation and community services.
“What this process has highlighted is that there is a real appetite for partnership working.
"We are delighted that NHS Improvement is going to support us to work with SaTH and SSSFT, as part of the wider STP, to ensure none of the hard work, learning or ideas from the process are lost.
“This work will also link to other projects and possibilities that we are already involved in and working on, such as our move to work with Shropdoc on the provision of the integrated urgent care GP-led out-of-hours service.”
