Kevin McGee
HELLO everyone and welcome to this week’s Chief Executive blog.
A main feature of the news this week has been the topic of a COVID vaccine with hopes rising that an effective vaccine will be available within the next year. Preliminary findings show a vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech can prevent more than 90% of people from getting Covid-19 while results from other advanced trials are expected soon.
This is something that has brought the importance of clinical research to life and I was delighted to see the official launch of the Trust’s Patient Recruitment Centre this week. We told you a few months back that Blackpool was one of only five areas in the country to be chosen to host a facility to deliver commercial research studies within the NHS by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) which was a massive feather in our cap.
The new research centres are designed to increase the number of commercial studies that can be delivered within the UK – benefiting patients who will gain earlier access to innovative new treatments and diagnostics, as well as the NHS and wider economy by attracting additional investment from the global life science industry.
The fact that we have been chosen to host the centre is testament to the hard work that has taken place across the Trust to develop our research skills, expertise and capacity over the past years and this development will enable us to grow further and give more opportunities to our patients across our region and beyond, in order to benefit from early access to innovation. We are extremely proud of everyone who has worked so hard to make this new facility a reality and I look forward to seeing more local people take part in clinical research.’’
Staff Survey and Flu vaccination campaigns
I AM continuing my call for staff to make sure they remain key inFLUencers by taking part in this year’s flu vaccination campaign and staff survey. I have produced a short video with our communications team to remind people about the importance of taking part in both campaigns which you can watch below:
I always think we have to remember that flu can be devastating and getting vaccinated will help protect you, your family and your patients and it really is that important to get as much protection as possible. Also, you can influence the Trust by taking the chance to have your say via the national NHS Staff Survey. More than 3,000 staff members have now completed the survey so far which is great news. But with two weeks remaining we definitely want more people to take part. The more people who respond, who tell us how they feel, the more accurate the information. We are listening, so please – now more than ever – be a BTH inFLUencer, make a difference and complete the survey!
Remember to #BeKind
TODAY just happens to be World Kindness Day which is a timely reminder for everyone about the need to look after each other in these tough times. Times are tough at the moment but we are stronger together so please remember the importance of being kind to each other.