July 2024 Members' news | NHS Frimley Health Foundation Trust

Summer may be here at last, but the pace hasn’t slowed at Frimley Health, as you can read in this latest newsletter. We are still seeing high demand across all services and our teams are working hard to ensure patients continue to get care when they need it most. We also really appreciate your support in helping to spread the word about the different options available, so that more people get to the right place for care first time.

With waiting lists across the NHS still very high, planned care remains a top priority. We have made good progress in reducing wait times despite big challenges, and we were delighted to welcome the Secretary of State for Health Wes Streeting to our new Heatherwood Hospital last week to see how the team there is making a difference.

Heatherwood in Ascot is a dedicated site for planned surgery, making it easier to get the best from the modern facilities and treat more patients faster. The Health Secretary was impressed with how we use digital systems and data to drive efficiency and quality, as you can see in this short video on X. He later declared that Heatherwood Hospital was what the future of the NHS should look like.

By the time you receive your next newsletter our new Chief Executive, Lance McCarthy, will have joined the Trust. I am very grateful to Caroline Hutton who has done a fabulous job as our interim CEO since Neil Dardis left the Trust at the end of March. I am looking forward to working with Lance to build on the work that Neil and Caroline have done to improve our quality and performance, and continue to invest in projects to increase our capacity such as the community diagnostic centre in Slough, the Frimley Park diagnostic and inpatient unit, and of course the replacement for Frimley Park under the New Hospital Programme.

I hope you can join our Annual Members Meeting on 24 September to meet us and find out more. I am delighted to confirm the meeting will be held inside the new Heatherwood Hospital, so if you haven’t been before you can see for yourself what the future of the NHS looks like!

Bryan Ingleby
Chair
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

Health secretary Wes Streeting sees 'NHS future' at Heatherwood

Labour’s new Health Secretary Wes Streeting visited Heatherwood Hospital on Friday and told reporters afterwards “This is what the future of the NHS should look like.”

In his first hospital visit since being appointed to the role, Mr Streeting was given a tour of the building by Chief Executive (interim) Caroline Hutton, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, John Seymour, and Managing Director of Heatherwood Angela Lawes.

During the tour the Heatherwood team showcased the hospital’s achievements and successes since opening in 2022 and highlighted our digital innovation and continuous quality improvement work. The team also discussed the Trust as a whole and the ongoing challenges facing Frimley Health the wider NHS in the region.

Mr Streeting visited the pre-assessment area, theatres and Treetops before holding an open and informal conversation with a group of around 20 clinical staff to get their views on Heatherwood and working in the NHS. The staff engagement session was the first of a series of sessions he is planning to undertake in other regions, as he is keen to work with staff to shape the changes that are needed.

The Health Secretary said he hoped Heatherwood “would inspire the rest of the healthcare system” and complimented the positive attitudes of the staff saying: “Staff are beaming with professional pride because of the quality of care they’re able to provide to patients."

Mr Streeting also spoke to a patient during his visit. Peter Flynn from Bracknell, who had had knee revision surgery earlier that day said: “I told him that it’s an amazing hospital with wonderful staff. It makes such a difference being treated in a hospital that is dedicated to planned surgery, the care is more focused on each individual patient and helping people to recover quickly.”

New Frimley Park Hospital update

We are committed to keeping you up to date with the latest new Frimley Park Hospital developments. Over the last few months we have made significant progress. We are well underway with the evaluation of our preferred sites, as well as preparing various business and planning cases in readiness to purchase the site on completion of the selection process.

Over the next few months, the Trust will begin its next phase of staff and public engagement, initially informing around Hospital 2.0, the new national standardised system for future hospitals, and our preferred way forward, including sharing details of the location of the new hospital site.

We’ve been out around the Trust to hear how staff are feeling about the new hospital, and what the changes will mean for them.

Four days to go until our next Health Event

The next Health Event on Microsoft Teams is on Tuesday 30 July at 6.30pm-7.30pm, with Consultant Neurologist Dr Jeremy Stern talking about “Advances in treating Parkinson's disease”. More than 300 people have already registered for the event.

Your care record at your fingertips

Have you signed up to MyFrimleyHealth Record, the online platform that puts your health record at your fingertips? The easy-to-use mobile app revolutionises the way you interact with our teams. It helps you to manage your care at Frimley Health and access services whether you are at home or on the go.

By using MyFrimleyHealth Record, which can also be accessed via a website, you can:
• Attend virtual consultations.
• See test results as soon as they are finalised.
• Message your care team to ask or answer questions.
• Access documents, letters and care summaries.
• Book or cancel appointments – and accept offers of earlier appointments.
• Provide information ahead of an appointment to reduce stress and save time.
• Receive notifications and updates.
• Potentially reduce follow-up appointments and avoid unnecessary visits to hospital.

You can also allow a friend or family member to manage your care on your behalf, if necessary.

If you have not done so already, sign up today. Simply scan the QR code above to download the app from the App Store or Google Play Store. If you’re using a PC or laptop, go to myfrimleyhealthrecord.fhft.nhs.uk. Or if you’ve recently been a patient at one of our sites, use the activation code we may have sent you by text message or email to register your account.

MyFrimleyHealth Record details and guides can be found on our website.

Governor Elections 2024 - will you stand as a Trust governor?

Our governors play an integral role in the running of our Trust and we are seeking eight more of them to represent you, our members!

The Council of Governors hold our non-executive directors to account for the performance of the Trust Board. It represents the interests of patients, the local community, Trust members who include our staff and the wider public.

Frimley Health Foundation Trust will be holding elections to appoint eight new governors in six constituencies:
• South Buckinghamshire - 1 seat
• Guildford, Waverley & Woking - 1 seat
• Hart & East Hampshire - 2 seats
• Rushmoor - 2 seats
• Slough - 1 seat
• Surrey Heath & Runnymede - 1 seat

As a governor you can play a key role in shaping the future of our services so if you are interested in being involved, find out more about what it means to be a governor and apply to stand in this year’s elections. Please visit Council of governors | NHS Frimley Health Foundation Trust (fhft.nhs.uk).

To be eligible to be a governor you must be a member Frimley Health Foundation Trust member living in the constituency you wish to stand for and be 16 or over.

Nominations open on Friday 26 July 2024. The deadline for submitting the nominations is Friday 23 August 2024. We’ll be holding a virtual Q&A session for potential governors on Wednesday 31 July, 5pm-6pm, if you would like to attend please contact fhft.companysecretariat@nhs.net for more details.

Long servers gather for celebration tea

Almost 2,800 years of service to the NHS were celebrated last week when 120 of our staff members attended a long service awards tea. They had each reached service milestones ranging between 20 and 40 years.

Together the invited staff spanned an incredible 2,779 years of working for Frimley Health, which formed in 2014 when the organisation running Frimley Park Hospital joined with Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals.

Chief Executive (interim) Caroline Hutton and Trust Chair Bryan Ingleby were among those attending the awards to thank them for their dedication.

Walk 4 Wards is back for 2024

Frimley Health Charity’s Walk 4 Wards is back by popular demand for its second year on Sunday 1 September. Come and enjoy a scenic and custom-designed five mile walk through stunning countryside, with beautiful fields and abundant wildlife, all while raising money for your local NHS hospital.

Choose to walk in honour of a ward that has supported you or a loved one, or walk in memory of someone special, celebrating their life and legacy. Graham, one of our walkers last year said: “What a well organised event, we loved taking part and fundraising for a ward very close to our hearts. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me and my family.”

Join us with friends, family, colleagues, and even your furry four-legged companions – dogs are welcome! For our younger walkers, we have a scavenger hunt to keep them entertained along the way. Please note, you must be able to complete the walk within 3.5 hours – on average it takes 2-2.5 hours.

Share your views on local NHS Talking Therapy services

NHS Frimley Integrated Care Board (ICB), the organisation responsible for planning and delivering local health and care services, is seeking the views of those aged 16-plus on NHS Talking Therapies. You do not have to have used these services to take part in this survey.

The ICB wants to establish your understanding around the support that is available to you for feelings of low mood, anxiety and stress. The answers you provide will help them understand how services in our area can support you in the most effective way possible.

You can access the survey at https://mysay.is/NHSTalkTherapies

Targeted lung health checks now in Farnborough

Eligible residents throughout Frimley Health and Care have been taking up their offers of a free NHS targeted lung health check (TLHC) as the national programme moves throughout the area.

Lung health checks look at how well a patient’s lungs are working and can help diagnose lung cancer earlier providing more treatment options and better outcomes.

TLHCs went live in Slough at the end of 2022 before moving to Aldershot and now eligible patients registered with a GP surgery in Farnborough (those between the age of 55 and 74 years, who are smokers or former smokers) are being invited to take part, usually via a letter in a bright yellow envelope.

The CT scanner is located in a convenient position and alongside other local health services, such the stop smoking team, to maximise patient support. More details on TLHCs can be found at frimleylunghealthcheck.nhs.uk. You can view one local resident’s story on our YouTube channel Pete's lung cancer screening story.

Help us to design a brand new Trust website

We are in the exciting initial stages of creating an entirely new Trust website and we’d love to hear your views. This is the perfect opportunity for you to share your opinions and help shape the content, menu structure and design of this important channels.

Fundamentally, we want to create a clear and simple way to communicate with our patients and visitors.

Please take a few minutes to complete our survey with your view on the Trust website.