A message from the Chief Executive, Samantha Jones
24 December 2009
With Christmas almost upon us and 2009 nearly over, I wanted to wish all of our patients and the thousands of people who live close to our hospitals all the best for the festive period and New Year.
I also wanted to publicly thank all of our 5,200 staff and volunteers for their hard work and support over the last year.
Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, now is the perfect time to reflect on the past 12 months and to acknowledge our own personal and professional achievements, as well as those of the Trust.
For me personally, 2009 will always be a year I remember. The birth of my twins, Ellie and Leo, has changed my life completely, bringing my husband and me unbelievable joy, happiness and no time! We are so proud of our children and we are looking forward to our first Christmas with them.
Turning to the Trust, I have a similar level of pride in the amount that we have achieved over the last year and how we really are turning a corner on years gone by.
The list of our achievements is endless, from meeting all of the government's key standards for hospitals through to being recognised as one of the most successful trusts in south west London. Or from reducing our incidence of MRSA and C difficile to their lowest levels ever through to the significant improvements we have made in both our annual patient and staff surveys.
We maintained our rating of ‘good' for the quality of services we provide to patients in the Care Quality Commission's Annual Health Check and ended 2008/09 with a financial surplus. This allowed us to pay off our historic debt, so that future surpluses can be reinvested back into improving the services we provide to patients.
Significantly, we have submitted plans to spend more than £200 million redeveloping St Helier Hospital. The proposals are currently with the Department of Health and we expect them to be approved early next year.
We have also drawn up proposals to spend up to £70 million on the Epsom Hospital site, helping to ensure we have the right buildings and infrastructure in place to meet the future needs of the people of Epsom and surrounding areas. These plans are with our strategic health authority awaiting approval.
This year, a challenge that lasted only minutes highlighted the attitude that makes the NHS what it is. When an ambulance caught fire at St Helier, it was the quick thinking and professionalism of so many members of staff that kept patients safe and disruption to a minimum.
The snowfall in February presented a challenge that lasted several days, and it's actions like those taken by renal nurse Debbie Noble - who walked 18 miles through heavy snow to dialyse patient Steph Crawford at home - that make me so proud to be the Chief Executive of this Trust. This is just one example of the dedication which all of you show.
Whilst we celebrate all of our successes, we must not be complacent. We have really improved the care we provide to local people in recent years, but we can always do better. And over the coming weeks, months and years we will strive to become not just one of the best trusts in south west London, but one of the best in the UK.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the hundreds of staff who are working over the Christmas and New Year period. I know most of them would prefer to be at home eating too much and watching TV. However, unlike banks, shops and thousands of other organisations, hospitals are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Wishing you all best for the festive period and a very peaceful and healthy 2010.
Regards,
Samantha Jones
Chief Executive
