Issue - meetings

Report of the Chief Executive, South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, updating the Panel on the implementation of the Trust's improvement programme.

The Panel considered the report of the Chief Executive, South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) NHS Foundation Trust;  which updated the Panel on the implementation of the Trust’s improvement programme.

Caroline Morris, Director of Transformation SCAS NHS Foundation Trust; and Neil Cook, Head of Operations (Southampton and South West) SCAS, NHS Foundation Trust; were in attendance and, with the consent of the Chair, addressed the meeting.

In discussion the Panel noted that the programme focused on four workstreams: Governance, Safeguarding, Patient Safety and Equality, and Performance.

1. Governance: Focused on improving information flow between the board and the floor. The committee structure and performance reports have been redeveloped to ensure the board receives the necessary assurance.
2. Safeguarding: This area has seen significant improvements and is no longer under review. Processes for making safeguarding referrals have been streamlined.
3. Patient Safety and Equality: Efforts have been made to improve cultural wellbeing, ensuring staff feel confident to speak out. Activities have been carried out to raise awareness about sexual safety.
4. Performance: The adoption of the "hear and treat" approach has been successful, allowing telephone operators to help callers self-help or signpost them to other health services. Efforts were also being made to improve the system for rapid handover of patients, and reducing the time ambulances spend at hospitals.

The next phase involved embedding the work from the transformation programme into the business as usual.

Also:

·  the NHS England national review of ambulance trusts and its recommendations, which included balancing operational and people performance, focusing on leadership and management culture, improving the operational environment, and targeting bullying and harassment.

·  the workforce plan and initiatives to increase clinical staffing by creating more paramedics.

·  the challenges faced in recruiting and retaining staff as paramedics become more attractive in the community services, leading to competition from GP surgeries

The Panel discussed the impact of these issues on recruitment, the timescales for exiting the NHS Recovery Support Programme, and the challenges limiting SCAS from meeting targets. The item concluded with a discussion on the potential impact of new hospital plans and the importance of improving response times and patient safety. The next phase involves embedding the work from the transformation programme into the business as usual.

The Panel thanked the frontline employees of the ambulance service for their hard work and commitment in often trying circumstances

RESOLVED  That, to enable the Panel to scrutinise the Trust’s improvement trajectory:

a)  The Panel would be provided with the key milestones and timescales associated with South Central Ambulance Service’s exit strategy from the NHS Recovery Support Programme.

b)  SCAS return to the HOSP meeting in August / September 2025 to update the Panel on progress.