HOSPITAL bosses in South Warwickshire are looking to further help struggling Wye Valley NHS Trust (WVT) improve.
South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT) this week entered into a strategic partnership with the Herefordshire trust. It will see SWFT chief executive Glen Burley takes on the role at both organisations, following the recent appointment of SWFT chairman Russell Hardy, as the chairman of both organisations.
The Observer revealed plans for the new partnership earlier this month when WVT’s Care Quality Commission (CQC) report was published. NHS Improvement confirmed that WVT had made quality improvements which lifted it out of special measures, but it remains rated as “requires improvement”.
Mr Burley and Mr Hardy will will work across both organisations to help improve the running of WVT.
The two trusts have already been working very closely throughout this year after SWFT was appointed as a buddy for Wye Valley NHS Trust in January.
Both trusts stressed the strategic partnership was not a merger or takeover. WVT will still determine the provision of healthcare services for its local population and both organisations will continue to deliver ‘business as usual’ services to their patients.
Mr Burley said: “My first priority will be to ensure that we can construct a solution which delivers clinically and financially sustainable services to the patients served by the Wye Valley Trust within a realistic timeframe. Alongside this we will continue to develop and improve services in South Warwickshire.
“To do this we will be sharing and developing best practice solutions across the many areas and challenges that the two Trusts have in common. This will achieve the benefits of working with a bigger organisation without losing the focus on local needs and leadership.”
