Welcome to your latest Foundation Trust newsletter.

Firstly, I wanted to share with you the great news that we have the green light to proceed with our plans for a replacement for Frimley Park Hospital. This followed the Government’s announcement in July of a review into the new hospital programme, which includes Frimley Park. It has now been confirmed that rebuilding programmes for all hospitals affected by RAAC can continue as planned.

It was great to see many of you at our Annual Members’ Meeting (AMM) on Tuesday evening and to expand upon our new hospital plans and what the future holds for healthcare across our communities. I was delighted to see so many of you there, especially as we held the event in our fantastic Heatherwood Hospital, which has established itself as one of the best hospitals for planned care in the country since it opened in 2022.

As we outlined at the meeting, the NHS has many challenges in the years ahead but at Frimley Health we have an incredible team of people who have worked brilliantly in recent years to lay down the foundations that will help us to meet them.

The AMM was also a chance to be upfront about the considerable challenges we and the rest of the NHS face. We do not underestimate the impact on our staff and patients of relentless pressure on urgent care services and long waiting lists. We know we have a long way to go to get to where we need to be. But we have made good progress over the past year – as I hope regular readers of this newsletter will see. And with the building blocks we have in place and amazing support from our members, community and healthcare partners, we are better positioned than most to provide the quality of care that our communities need in future.

Our milestone next Tuesday (1 October), when we celebrate 10 years since Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust was formed and 50 years of Frimley Park Hospital, only serves to remind us how far we have come. You can read more about this in the next newsletter.

Thank you again for your ongoing support.

Best wishes

Bryan

Bryan Ingleby
Chair
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

New Frimley Park Hospital update

We are delighted to share with you that the Government has confirmed that all RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) schemes are exempt from their review of the national new hospital programme. This means the new Frimley Park Hospital has been formally confirmed as sitting outside of the broader review and given the green light to continue to move forward as planned. We are being actively supported by the national New Hospital Programme to maintain progress to ensure the new hospital will be open as soon as possible.

While we were always confident that our new hospital would remain a priority, we know the announcement of the review into the national new hospital programme raised questions and uncertainty, and so we welcome this additional clarity and renewed commitment. Read more about our latest news by signing up to our newsletter and WhatsApp Broadcast channel for more regular updates.

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Annual Members' Meeting

A huge thank you to those of you who came along to this year’s Annual Members’ Meeting on Tuesday and all of the positive comments about the venue - our amazing Heatherwood Hospital. We hope you found the evening informative and had a chance to visit one of the many marketplace stands from different departments across the Trust.

The presentations were warmly received, with new Chief Executive Officer Lance McCarthy, giving a review of the year alongside talks about the financial challenges facing the Trust, an update on the new Frimley hospital and an overview of the achievements of Heatherwood as an elective surgical hub.

The next Members’ event will be an online health event on Tuesday 19 November 6.30-7.30pm, with Dr Gareth Roberts hosting a talk on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and our community services. The link to the event will be sent in next month’s newsletter.

Frimley staff recognised with Number 10 visit

Six Frimley Health staff paid a visit to 10 Downing Street earlier this month as part of a special reception to recognise their efforts at work.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer gave a speech during the reception and one of our staff, emergency department nurse Silvia Marko, was also selected to take part in a discussion with the PM.

Silvia was a winner of the Trust’s Values into Practice Awards in January. Her ViP nomination came from a student nurse for the support she gives to help her colleagues in the team.

During the Number 10 event, Silvia sat down to talk to the PM, along with three other staff members from hospitals around the country.

Silvia explained: “The Prime Minister asked for any suggestions we could make about the health service. I said it was important to have good leadership, like we have at Wexham. That if you have the right structure, with good matrons and senior matrons, then when problems arise, we can adapt. Good leadership and leading by example – that’s what matters.”

Crowthorne Maternity Hub opens

Our first stand-alone maternity hub has opened in Wellington Business Park, Crowthorne - the newest of six community hubs associated with Frimley Park Hospital. A few years in the making, it came off the back of community maternity services not being able to use GP surgeries throughout the Covid pandemic.

The hub is in a transformed office block which has been completely redesigned to enable smooth patient flow, with modern, fresh, and spacious surroundings for patients and staff.

Claire Bowers, community midwife and team leader for Crowthorne maternity hub, said: “We are proud to be part of the very first stand-alone hub. It’s well documented that smaller teams work more effectively, we care for women from the moment of their first booking appointment with the midwife until they have had their baby. There can be up to 13 routine appointments with midwives during their journey, so it’s important for the environment to be just right.”

Other maternity hubs are based in Aldershot Centre for Health, the Voyager Family Health centre in Farnborough, Fleet and Farnham hospitals (the team also sees patients at Yateley and Blackwater surgeries), Surrey hub in Frimley Park Hospital and Bracknell hub at Skimped Hill Surgery.

Staff finalists in NHS Parliamentary Awards

Two Frimley Health initiatives have been announced as finalists in this year’s NHS Parliamentary Awards which take place in London on 14 October.

Our AI (artificial intelligence) working group and urgent and emergency care (UEC) virtual ward team have both been shortlisted in the 2024 awards, which recognise the outstanding contribution of NHS staff, volunteers and other health and care sectors.

For the past six years, the awards have given members of parliament the chance to showcase the amazing people working in their constituency in the healthcare profession.

Going forward to the final round of the awards is a particular achievement this year, with 318 MPs across England putting forward 918 nominations – a far greater number than in any previous year.

Our UEC virtual ward team was nominated by local MPs for its work to redesign pathways to care for more patients at home, avoiding hospital admissions when safe to do so and reducing length of stay.

The AI working group, shortlisted for the Excellence in Healthcare Award, is led by our consultant radiologist Dr Amrita Kumar. During the last five years, the group has overseen eight AI deployment projects, including national AI award funding for chest radiograph AI and mammogram AI.

NHS rolls out first ever RSV vaccine to protect those at risk from severe respiratory illness

Your local NHS has started vaccinating people against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) - a leading cause of infant mortality around the world. RSV is a common cause of coughs and colds but can lead to severe lung infections like pneumonia and infant bronchiolitis, which are highly dangerous to older people and young children.

In preparation for winter, the NHS has begun vaccinating pregnant women and older adults, including those who turn 75 on or after 1 September. There will also be a one-off 'catch-up' programme for individuals aged 75 to 79 to ensure the older age group are protected as the colder months approach.

Dr Imran Qureshi, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at NHS Frimley, said: "After months of preparation from our hardworking staff, for the first time ever we are now offering the RSV vaccine to those at greatest risk - helping to protect the lives of those most vulnerable and ease pressures across the NHS as winter approaches.”

In addition to RSV, the NHS is also rolling out vaccination programs for flu and Covid-19, focusing on those at greatest risk ahead of winter. Flu vaccinations will be offered to pregnant women and most children from this month, with flu and Covid-19 vaccines available to other eligible groups starting 3 October.

Sign up to Frimley Health Charity's first ever firewalk

If you have a burning desire to support your local hospital and you think you can handle the heat, why not sign up to Frimley Health Charity’s first ever firewalk? All participants will receive a full safety briefing and training before attempting to walk barefoot across 20 metres of burning embers.

This unique event will take place at 6.30pm (participants should arrive at 5pm for the safety briefing) on 2 November at Heatherwood Hospital. The adrenaline-pumping challenge is not only an extraordinary way to raise funds, but it’s also an unforgettable experience that will leave you feeling empowered and inspired. For further details and to sign up, see here.

Take advantage of Free Wills Month

Frimley Health Charity has partnered with Octopus Legacy for Free Wills Month in October to offer all its supporters the chance to use their free will writing service. If writing your will is something you have been putting off, you can take advantage of this offer any time before 31 October.

When making your will, and after making provisions for your family and friends, you could consider leaving a gift to Frimley Health Charity. Choosing to leave a legacy donation is a wonderful way to make a lasting difference and support a cause you truly care about. All gifts in wills to Frimley Health Charity have a real positive impact on patients and families and make a valuable contribution to the comfort and care of patients and their loved ones. From newborn babies on the neonatal ward, to dementia sufferers and patients battling long term illnesses.

Click on the link to start your FREE will-writing service.