Agenda item

Report of the Assistant Director Law and Governance

Trust representatives Leanne McCrindle and Chief Nurse (and CQC Nominated Individual), Beverley Murphy presented the draft Quality Account 2024/2025 for Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust for members’ consideration.

The Committee considered that the Quality Account was clearly set out and noted the progress made against the three priorities, ‘Patient Experience:  Promoting education using lived experience’, ‘Patient Safety:  Relapse Prevention’ and ‘Clinical Effectiveness: Improving Personalisation in Urgent Care’.

Members were pleased to note the work undertaken to progress the outlined priorities and their clear descriptions provided by the trust’s representatives.

Questions were raised including as to whether there is a timeframe for improving CQC ratings for which a detailed response was provided, and members were pleased to learn that all points of improvement from the last major inspection (2023) have now been met.

Questions were also asked regarding the governance and recruitment structure of the Trust and members were pleased to learn that those with lived experience were involved in the recent recruitment process for the Trust’s new Chief Executive.  Members were also pleased to learn that training for staff is occurring in face-to-face settings and that sections of training are provided by those with lived experience.

Members asked who was given opportunity to take part in the Big Conversation and were informed that staff, service users and their friends and families were welcome to take part, members expressed that they would have ideally liked to have seen a greater response with Trust representatives agreeing.  However, members accepted that requests for feedback had been promoted.

Discussions were held with regards to recruitment and staffing, particular attention was paid to the presence of agency workers with members expressing that they would like to see permanent Trust employees hired where possible over the use of agency staff, a sentiment which was shared by the Trust’s representatives.

A further discussion was held regarding the quality of the Trust’s buildings and members were pleased to hear that buildings are generally of a high standard in the vast majority of cases with high quality in-patient facilities and a good standard of food and cleanliness.

Members had no specific requests for additions to next year’s quality account.

Overall, the Health and Housing Scrutiny Committee welcomed the opportunity to comment on the Trust’s Quality Accounts and fully endorsed the proposed priorities.  Appreciation was expressed for the clear layout of the Quality Account particularly in respect of the included glossary of terms. 

RESOLVED - Members noted the content of the draft Quality Account and universally expressed their thanks to the Trust for the positive work being carried out.

Additionally, members agreed that a draft commentary be approved by the Chair of this committee that this to be provided as a response to the Trust following this meeting.