Annual Report and Accounts - The Great Western Hospital

The Great Western Hospital became a designated Trauma Unit in two regional Trauma Networks in
April 2012. Due to its geographical location, the Great Western Hospital is part of both the Severn
Network to the West and the Thames Valley Network to the North-East. This is a commendable
achievement due to the hard work of dedicated staff.
With a larger organisation, we are using our experience of rolling out the Productive Ward
Programme at the GWH to implement the same initiative in the community hospitals. The
programme is designed to release more nursing time to spend on direct patient care and Wiltshire
residents will start to see the benefits of our experience in this area during 2012/13.
Our staff, who are at the core of the Trust, have also shared their views on what it is like to work
within the Trust via the annual independent staff survey. The results, published in March, place the
Trust in the top five Trusts in the South West in terms of overall scores. The Trust was placed in the
top 20% nationally on many of the key measures and generally our staff are engaged. These
results are important not only for staff, but also for patients as more engaged staff means better
patient care. We will be building on these results in the year ahead and have identified four
priorities for focus to deliver improvements.
The year has also been challenging. The expanded programme of unannounced inspections by
the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has been felt across the Trust. During the course of the year
there several inspections looking at different aspects of care including dignity, nutrition and
hydration and theatres. One of the inspections resulted in moderate concerns. Action plans have
been developed with the concerns raised now addressed. Plans to manage any remaining issues
are being rolled out.
One area that is already being managed is the removal of a number of the Extra Bed Spaces in use
on some wards. These are additional regular beds intended for use when demand from patients is
high. The Trust has recognised that a number of these beds have compromised patient dignity on
occasions and we are taking proactive steps to remove them and reduce their use.
From a financial perspective the Trust ended a difficult financial year with £0.5m surplus. The
challenges going forward will grow, so it is vital we maintain a strong financial discipline. This is
particularly important when looked at in the context of falling demand for some services currently
provided in a hospital environment. With fewer patients comes less money to invest in services.
The Trust therefore needs to be flexible in ensuring we have the beds, staff and resources in the
right areas for the demand we are experiencing. Further information on the Trust’s accounts is
provided in the annual accounts at the back of this annual report.
We continue to work with our Governors to deliver the aspirations of our 12,000 members and have
valued their input in shaping our priorities. Governors have contributed to the workings of the Trust
by adding valuable feedback and helping us to focus on improvements in areas such as patient
experience. The Trust hosted a successful Open Day in September, with many staff from across
the Trust giving up their time to showcase their work. Staff hosted behind the scenes tours of
different areas of the hospital and a number of partner agencies were represented at the event
including Wiltshire Fire and Rescue, Wiltshire Air Ambulance, Wiltshire Involvement Network,
Swindon LINk and Prospect Hospice. A total of 50 people (staff and public) safely abseiled off the
hospital building with the money raised going to the Trust’s Charitable Fund.
We are very grateful for the efforts our 5,500 staff and volunteers who work with us everyday to
save and change lives. Despite the challenges and difficult times ahead, we know we are better
placed to meet them because of their hard work, professionalism and dedication to the Trust.
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