Hospital trusts seek joint chair for both organisations
Two Shropshire hospital trusts are to employ a single chair to oversee both organisations.
Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust and The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust are to recruit a 'Chair in Common' across the two trusts further progressing their shared ambition to improve services for the communities across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, the Black Country, Borders and mid-Wales.
The trust said this “exciting step forward” will bring greater alignment between the trusts and builds upon the great work they have already been doing together, including the recent development of two Rehabilitation and Recovery Units, led by the community teams on both hospital sites, together with Virtual Ward and Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy (OPAT) services.
The move signals a “shared commitment to strengthening joint working for the benefit of patients, service users and families”, the two trusts have said, adding that they will remain as separate statutory bodies but will seek to appoint the same person to the Chair role for each trust.
Patricia Davies, Chief Executive at Shropshire Community Health Trust, said: “This is a really positive move as having a Chair in Common enables us to leverage all the benefits of working clinically together particularly around sub-acute care. Whilst also recognising the wider reach that community services offer to the population of STW, The Black Country and borders.”
Louise Barnett, Chief Executive of The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, added: “This is an exciting opportunity to deliver greater alignment and collaboration across our two organisations, which importantly will improve care for patients through more integrated care and our focus on delivering care closer to home.”