Chief Executive, Kevin McGee
I WAS very encouraged at the results of the recently published Freedom to Speak Up Index which put Blackpool Teaching Hospitals into the top 50 highest scoring Trusts.
It is vital for a good and effective organisation to ensure a culture where staff can speak out if they encounter behaviours or practices that concern them or they believe could lead to harm.
The Index showed that 90 per cent of our staff agreed the Trust encouraged them to report errors, near misses or incidents and that is excellent news.
An open and transparent culture is essential and staff should always be encouraged to speak out with confidence and without fear.
It is gratifying to see the majority of staff feel able to do that and know the system with which to report concerns.
As a board we feel strongly that everyone needs to be valued and listened to and we are determined that staff should be treated fairly as they are the all important eyes and ears of the organisation.
The index uses comparative data for around 224 Trusts nationally and there is evidence of a correlation between the highest performing Trusts, their CQC ratings and their position within the index.
Guidelines must be followed to protect patients and staff
THE Trust has issued an urgent reminder to staff about their obligation to follow the Public Health England (PHE) guidance if they develop symptoms of COVID-19. Those who do not are putting both patients and staff at risk.
We are asking staff to ensure they have read and understood the Stay at Home requirements if they develop symptoms of COVID-19.
If a member of staff tests positive for COVID-19, contact tracing will be undertaken by the Occupational Health Department (OHD) to determine if other co-workers have been exposed to the virus.
It is vital we follow the PHE guidance to help stop the spread of Coronavirus and keep our patients, staff and environment safe.
Critical care staff return ‘home’
AS the Coronavirus pandemic starts to ease, the hospital is beginning to return to normal and this week saw the Critical Care staff move out of their temporary base in CITU and back home to the newly refurbished HDU and ITU.
This is a milestone in the challenge we have all been through and marks the beginning of the end of the first wave of COVID-19. Now, more than ever, we need to ensure we all follow Coronavirus safety guidance to build on the excellent work we have done so far. My heartfelt thanks go to every member of the Trust staff.