Trust announces plan to review its future shape

2 July 2008

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust has today announced plans to review the way that it is configured with a view to establishing whether there is a better way of running the hospitals so that it can further improve the service it provides to local people.

The review, which is called Local Needs, Local Health, is an extension of the Trust's clinical strategy, launched in January, and will look at all possible options for the future shape of the Trust. The main reasons for undertaking the review, which will involve the Trust's doctors, nurses and other staff from the outset, are: 

1. To see if there is a better way for the Trust to meet the diverse health needs of the populations of Sutton, Merton, Epsom and the surrounding areas; 
2. To see if there is a better way for the Trust meet the demands placed on it by the primary care trusts that commission its services, in particular:
   1. For patients to be able to access services locally;
   2. To meet the increasingly high standards of care expected by a number of professional bodies, for instance within A&E, women and children's services, anaesthetics and critical care;
   3. Its ability to deliver services within the finite resources available. 
3. To see if there is a better way for the Trust to meet the challenges posed by: 
   1. The need to reduce the number of hours staff can work under the European Working Time Directive;
   2. Its ability to recruit certain types of clinicians;
   3. Patient Choice, the national NHS initiative which gives patients a choice of where they receive treatment. 

With the involvement of Trust's clinical and non clinical staff, Local Needs, Local Health is expected to put forward and assess a range of potential options for the future. These could include, amongst others:

• remaining with the status quo;
• the hospitals doing more in partnership with other trusts/hospitals;
• establishing the feasibility of Epsom and St Helier hospitals de-merging to become stand alone entities. 

Samantha Jones, Chief Executive, said: "We are committed to ensuring that the people of Epsom, Sutton, Merton and surrounding areas have easy access to safe high quality care in a clean and welcoming environment. 

"The NHS is going through a period of unparalleled change and we must maximise the benefits this is delivering, whilst meeting the many challenges it poses. On top of this, the primary care trusts are placing increased demands on us to meet new higher standards and to keep services local, but within finite resources.

"Local Needs, Local Health will allow us, with the support and involvement of our doctors, nurses and other staff, to look at doing things differently. By using innovative solutions, we can meet the challenges we face, whilst continuing to deliver safe and high quality services that are easily accessible for local people.

"Local Needs, Local Health is not about service change, but about seeing if there is a better way to run our hospitals. The review is an extension of the Trust's current clinical strategy, which aims to develop St Helier and Epsom as local hospitals in line with current national guidance. All possible options for the way we are shaped in the future will need to viable clinically and financially. 

"We recognise that there has been, for many years, a level of uncertainty for staff, patients and local people surrounding the future of our hospitals. We are confident that Local Needs, Local Health will allow us to end this speculation once and for all, therefore delivering certainty to the local community and staff. 

"We are committed to keeping our patients, local people, staff, volunteers and other stakeholders fully briefed and up-to-date with the Local Needs, Local Health review. We will run an open and transparent process with appropriate engagement and consultation."

Local Needs, Local Health will be jointly led by the Trust and NHS London, its strategic health authority. The review is also supported by, and will involve close working with, Sutton and Merton Primary Care Trust (SMPCT), Surrey Primary Care Trust (SPCT) and South East Coast Strategic Health Authority.

To make sure Local Needs, Local Health delivers the best possible outcome for the people of Epsom, Sutton, Merton and the surrounding areas, it will interface with a number of local healthcare strategic reviews, including:

• Better Healthcare Closer to Home (led by SMPCT);
• Surrey Fit for the Future (led by SPCT);
• Women and children’s services review (led by the Trust, SMPCT and SPCT).

Local Needs, Local Health will also link into national developments within the NHS, including the NHS Next Stage review (Our NHS, our future) and Healthcare for London.

Local Health, Local Needs will be managed within a formal project governance structure. Further details about the review, including timescales, will be published by the end of August.