Annual Report and Accounts - The Great Western Hospital

The Trust is currently reviewing its strategy 2010-2015 and will launch this later in the year after
suitable engagement with staff and the communities we serve. At a time when there is so much
change, we will continue to focus on delivering high quality patient care, and ensuring that we have
the right staff in post across our enlarged organisation able to deliver the high standards of care
that we demand.
As well as the structural changes that will be made to the wider NHS during this and next year, the
NHS is in the midst of the delivery of £20bn savings. Such sums cannot be found through small
transactional changes, and as a result the Trust is working very closely with the local
commissioning organisations (PCTs and CCGs) to identify services and schemes where there are
efficiencies and productivities to be found. Such scales of change will be disconcerting to the
communities that we serve, and we will seek to engage local interest groups, members and other
stakeholders throughout the change process so that with commissioners, we make the right
decisions for our patients. In some cases, services may be taken over by other NHS providers or
private sector companies as the government seeks to open up the NHS to more providers to
ensure greater choice for patients.
As part of the drive to find the huge savings, we will continue to work with colleagues nationally on
initiatives to bring down the length of time a patient stays in hospital, and where possible, to find
opportunities to treat more patients outside the hospital setting closer to home and friends and
family.
This will mean as more services are provided in the community and the home and less in acute
hospitals, the Trust will need fewer beds to treat patients. In turn this means that fewer posts will
be needed working in the hospital, although some of these roles may be transferred into the
community. It is therefore essential that we have a clear workforce plan, as we will do everything
we can to avoid redundancies. Any workforce changes that need to be made will be done in close
discussion with our primary care and Trade Union colleagues.
3.11 Impact of the Trust’s business
Details of the impact of the Trust’s business on the environment, social and community issues and
on employees, including information about policies in relation to those matters and the
effectiveness of those policies are referred to elsewhere in this report under the sustainability report
(section 7 refers) and in the staff survey report (section 9 refers).
3.12 Consultations
During 2011/12 there was a staff consultation regarding a back office restructure aimed at
streamlining management.
A formal consultation with staff commenced in May 2012 on one ward regarding support to
changes relating to bed reconfiguration.
There were no formal public or stakeholder consultations during 2011/12. However, the Trust
regularly engages with local stakeholders regarding issues relevant to the Trust.
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