On joining SCAS in March 2023 I embarked on a programme aimed at getting to know the organisation and understanding what was driving some of the key challenges. I have witnessed our staff delivering great care and seen their dedication, commitment, and pride in their work at first hand.
The Trust has a significant financial challenge and failed to meet the operational targets it had set against the Category 2 mean response time recovery plan. As a result, we have presented a joint operational and financial recovery and improvement plan to NHS England, to ensure both issues are addressed in a balanced way.
I have spent considerable periods of time out and about working alongside staff and publishing a 10 Point Plan aimed at getting the organisation to focus on getting the basics right as we undertook a review and reconnection exercise with a long-term strategy.
We have committed to dealing with our financial challenge, to sustain and improve our operational performance, to deliver a high quality, safe service to our patients and to look after our staff.
As a result of these commitments, SCAS has begun an ambitious programme of modernisation which is underpinned by a strategic requirement to ensure the services we provide are ‘fit for purpose’ and deliver the best possible, high quality and safe services for the communities we care for.
Whilst recovering our financial position and ensuring optimal operational performance are certainly two of the key drivers for reforming the organisation, we need to take measures to future proof services, taking account of economic factors, sustainability and environmental responsibilities and changing societal needs.
I know that our staff will be up for these challenges, and there is already much good work going on and lots of new improvement ideas are coming through to our ‘Bright ideas’ scheme from people across the Trust. This all bodes well for our programme of modernisation.
We are all committed to traversing the difficult path to financial and operational transformation to make SCAS a sustainable organisation in the short and the long term. It is the right thing to do for the organisation, our staff and our patients but we need to do it carefully, considerately and quickly.
David Eltringham
Chief Executive Officer