We are entering an exciting time for our Trust - designing what our hospitals will look like in the years to come, so we can continue to provide high quality care for the people we serve. 

Of course there are many questions still to answer, for example: what sort of maternity and young people’s services will we need for our growing population? How should we develop specialist services, such as cancer and neuroscience, with other partners? What will the two emergency departments at our hospitals look like? 

We won’t be developing our longer-term clinical strategy in isolation. A key part will be seeking the views of our staff, our patients, stakeholders, local communities, GPs, commissioners, NELFT and other partners.

Our strategy will have to align with the ambitious and challenging plan we have developed with our partners in Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge (BHR) to move out of our financial deficit.

All of this will take place as we also play our part in helping to create an Integrated Care System, which will see us work even more closely within BHR with our commissioners, GPs, community services, NELFT, charities and councils to support the care patients receive both in and out of our hospitals. 

The initial phase of our clinical strategy review begins soon. The first step will be to collect and analyse information on all of our services. This will help to frame the discussion we need to have about our hospitals.

Following an open and transparent procurement process, we’ve brought on board a management consultancy firm, Carnall Farrar, which specialises in transforming healthcare, to help us with this work. In the coming months, there will be opportunities to get involved as together we decide on our vision for our future. 

Chris Bown, interim Chief Executive