You’ll be very aware of the intense pressure our two hospitals have been under in recent weeks. We have to hope that the latest national lockdown announced last night by the Prime Minister will have a significant impact on the infection rates in our three boroughs and lead to a noticeable reduction in admissions. I know lockdown is tough, but I hope you share my belief that it is the right thing to do.

We are treating more and more Covid patients; we need to try and open more critical care capacity; and our staff – with help from our partners - have moved heaven and earth to discharge home those who no longer need our care.

The NHS and our Trust is, arguably, under the highest level of pressure it has ever experienced. Everyone at the Trust is responding brilliantly. However, I fully appreciate the stress and the strain the ongoing demands are placing on my colleagues. 

To help the senior leadership of our Trust help our staff, we have changed where some responsibilities sit, and we are being joined by two new members to increase the capacity of our team.

Ben Morrin is coming on secondment from UCLH as our Deputy Chief Executive. I have asked Ben to help us renew our sense of pride in working here. We want to be an organisation where poor performance isn’t tolerated, and good performance is celebrated. As well as supporting our day-to-day work as we recover from Covid, Ben will also focus on improving our culture. The prize is a Trust where no one settles for second best.

We will also be joined by a familiar face to many of you. Our CCG colleague, Steve Rubery – who is Director of Commissioning and Performance - will work alongside our Operations team for two to three days a week. His focus will be on our preparations for life, after Covid-19.

I have asked Kathryn Halford, our Chief Nurse, to take on the additional and crucial responsibility of being our Director of Infection Prevention and Control (DIPC). The pandemic has meant we’ve had to increase our focus on infection prevention and control. With Kathryn as our new DIPC, our Chief Medical Officer, Magda Smith, will be freed up to focus on the integration agenda across our Integrated Care System (ICS).

Despite the promise feeling like a long way off, this new year does offer us just that – the prospect of our lives in the future not being as dominated by Covid-19, as they have been in the recent past. The vaccination programme we are a part of will help deliver a 2021 where the virus is, hopefully, brought more under control.

Best wishes.

Tony Chambers
Chief Executive