Homerton Life May-June 2008 v5 - Homerton University Hospital

VIEW FROM THE TOPNEWSfrom the BoardIt’s fair to say that the last fewmonths of the financial year saw theBoard of Directors focus on the yearendfinancial position, balancing thebooks and making sure we closed theyear having met the key performanceand quality targets. On a positivenote, we were able to report that weachieved all key targets, a strongfinancial performance and a surplus.This means that this year we will havea small amount of money to invest inpatient services.The Board have discussed andsupported the proposals to investover £10m to take forward excitingplans to build our new perinatalcentre and develop fertility services.The corporate objectives were signedoff and they were asked to considerfinancial plans for 2008/9. The Boardwas also advised on the Healthcarefor London consultation and havesubmitted a response on behalf ofthe Trust, which is available to viewon www.homerton.nhs.uk.The Board was updated on a numberof projects and initiatives thatillustrate how the Trust participates inthe life of the local community. Theyalso received updates on a range ofquality and patient experience issuesincluding the Patient Survey results,the Hygiene Code and HealthcareCommission Maternity Review. InFebruary, the Board met with theCouncil of Governors to review thenew Patient and Public Involvementstrategy, Visitors Policy and issuesaround mixed sex accommodation.At the end of March, the Board saidgoodbye to two long standing nonexecutivedirectors, Professor KateCosteloe and Jessica Crowe.The Board of Directors meet on thefourth Wednesday of every month.Minutes are posted onwww.homerton.nhs.uk.Look out for news from the Board inall future editions of Homerton Life.4Directors report: a wordfrom the chief executiveAnother financial year has come to aclose and I am pleased that we finishedhaving met all our key performancetargets (cancer, emergency and electivecare waits, and MRSA and c.diff rates)and balanced the books. A big thankyou to you all for your continued hardwork and support – it really does makea difference.Looking towards the new financial year andthere are some exciting opportunitiesahead – in particular we will start ourlargest building programme for ten years,which will see the realisation of a state-ofthe-artperinatal centre and the muchanticipated relocation of the fertility unit.You can read more about our plans for thecoming year in this issue of Homerton life,where we detail our corporate objectives.You can speak to your departmentalmanager to find out more about theseplans – also feel free to get in contact withyour general manager, director lead ormyself with any comments or suggestionsyou have in relation to the coming year.Last month we launched our newcorporate style, which included a visualidentity for the way our materials look andfeel and a ‘house style guide’ detailing ourvision for good communications withpatients, the public and each other.Providing clear and consistent informationto others is of the utmost importance andour new style will allow us to do that. Allstaff are advised to visit the resourcessection on Homertonlife online and makesure that their own communicationmaterials (letterheads, memos, emailsignatures, presentations, patientinformation leaflets etc) are in the correctformat. Help is available from thecommunications department if needed.I hope you are enjoying this revampedHomerton life; this is part of a programmeof changes we are making to the way wecommunicate with staff, you can find outmore on pg5. We have also launched anew intranet site (see feature on pg8),which I encourage you all to take some timeto look at. This column is a newintroduction to Homerton life and in eachissue a different director will feed back toyou on the work in their area – we hope thisway you will get a sense of what ishappening throughout the hospital. Wealways welcome your feedback andsuggestions about the way we communicatewith you, please let us know your thoughts.Corporate objectives 2008/091. To meet the requirements for the toprating in the Healthcare Commission’sAnnual Health Check, with a particularemphasis on reducing the time patientswait.2. To have solid evidence of increasingpatient satisfaction.3. To foster a skilled and productiveworkforce, which has pride in its workand its organisation.4. To continue our focus on cleanliness,ensuring full compliance with theHealthcare Commission’s Hygiene Code.Nancy HallettChief ExecutiveTo help us focus our work for the year, the following corporate objectives havebeen set. Please take some time to read them and discuss with your manager howyour work plan for the coming year will contribute to achieving these objectives.5. To consolidate and further build financialand business acumen in the organisation.6. To promote the clinical services we provide,expanding these and developing newservices as appropriate to integrate into thefuture shape of London’s health services.7. To operate the hospital effectively duringthe biggest building programmeundertaken on site in a decade – thenew Perinatal and Fertility centres.8. To ensure that Homerton is fullyprepared for its role as Olympic Hospitalfor the London 2012 Olympic Park.