Recent Government announcements about changes to the size and shape of Integrated Care Boards, NHS England and our NHS provider organisations have come at a time when we are seeking to confirm our plans for the next financial year. Whilst I know these developments will be on everyone's minds, we will need to continue to fulfil our purpose. 

Whilst we are awaiting further guidance on the details behind these announcements, it is heartening to be told that ICBs will continue to be a part of the future of the NHS, and it's more important than ever that we continue on our path of improvement and serve the people of Derby and Derbyshire to the best of our ability.

It is hard to believe that it is almost a year since I joined Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board as Chair and had the privilege of helping shape services in my home county.

Getting to know colleagues and visiting the people and places providing crucial services to our population has been a great experience. I know that there are many other teams to meet and hear from.

In just a few months I have been given an insight into a wide range of projects, teams and organisations including:

• perinatal support for mums
• a unique model for men's addiction services
• a day in the life at a general practice
• Team Up
• an insight into the wonderful contribution of the voluntary sector
• and detailed conversations with place-based partnership teams.

I've also had a chance to discuss in depth the opportunities and challenges of working for the NHS and its partners.  

One of the areas that really struck me, was how much time and resource organisations and individuals spend trying to support people with the building blocks (or wider determinants) of health. Housing, lifestyle, diet, education, debt and addiction for example and the place where we live all have a profound impact on our health.

The core NHS does not generally have the ability, time or skills to help people with these issues in a meaningful way which highlights the importance of partnership working across sectors. By working together, we can arrange services around people's needs, not around our structures.

In more recent weeks, we've started to discuss the three shifts the Government has set out: hospital to home, analogue to digital and sickness to prevention. The potential for change and transformation is huge but again, to get the maximum benefit we will need to work closely with our system partners. That work is on-going of course but we can always do more.

It's been fantastic to read the introductions in this newsletter setting out some of the key strands of work which touch us all across the system, from winter and looking after our neighbours to collaborating around the ten-year plan engagement. Working together really is the right thing to do and that must continue.

I want to say thank you to everyone who came forward to offer to host me on a visit. I know there are many great examples of joined up care, or integrated care, across our county, so I'm going to carry on and try to see some more.

The next set of visits will start in September so please e mail christina.jones1@nhs.net if you'd like to host. It really helps me gain assurance to have seen these examples first hand and gives me a unique insight into people's experiences.

There is so much passion and hard work going on in Derby and Derbyshire it's hard to put into a few words, but another big thank you from me for all the work you're doing, in challenging circumstances, it really changes people's lives.

We aim to celebrate and share good examples of how partners across the health and care system are working together to achieve our shared missions.

This month's newsletter includes:

• How Shared Reading is supporting wellbeing
• State-of-the-art Community Diagnostic Centre now open
• Your expert guide to tackling health inequalities
• New digital system launches across two Derbyshire hospitals

We hope you enjoy reading about what is happening in our health and care system. If you would like to contribute an article or share your great work, please email ddicb.communications@nhs.net. 

By Rose Braisby, Derby Book Festival

In a world where reading is often a solitary activity, shared reading brings people together through the joy of literature and words.

Across Derby, this initiative is transforming lives by fostering connection, reducing loneliness and supporting wellbeing.

Run by Derby Book Festival since 2017, this National Lottery-funded community programme offers residents a unique space to experience literature aloud, together.

The Mental Health Foundation reported that ‘only a small minority of people (13%) in the UK were found to be living with high levels of positive mental health and more than 4 in 10 people say they have experienced depression.

One in six of adults have had a common mental health disorder, such as anxiety’ (Public Health England, 2019). 

This highlights the need for initiatives like shared reading to support wellbeing and bring people together in our communities.

Every month, more than 100 participants attend weekly shared reading groups held in spaces such as cafes, libraries, mental health hospitals, carers groups, colleges, residential homes and more. 

These sessions offer an opportunity to engage with poems, short stories, flash fiction, quotes and letters (to name but a few) — bringing literature to life through the shared experience.

Read more

The son of a former Ilkeston Community Hospital patient recently joined colleagues from University Hospitals of Derby and Burton and local MPs to officially open the Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) on the site. 

The £5.1 million centre allows patients to have several diagnostic tests, such as x-rays, CT scans, blood tests and point of care tests done under one roof and aims to deliver up to 97,000 tests annually – reducing the demand on acute hospitals for such tests.  

Notably, it features the region's first open MRI scanner thought to be only the second of its kind in the country – which is quieter and less claustrophobic than more common 'closed' MRI machines. This helps to support patients who have not been able to complete an MRI scan on a closed machine, reducing their waiting time and improving patient experience.

The centre was officially opened by University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust's (UHDB) Chair, Prem Singh, alongside UHDB's Chief Executive, Stephen Posey, MPs Adam Thompson and Linsey Farnsworth and Ian Jackson, whose mother, Val, was a former patient at Ilkeston Community Hospital.

Val sadly died from ovarian cancer 37 years ago and campaigned for more scanning facilities to be installed at the site. Her family has since raised more than £80,000, which has led to part of the imaging facilities being named 'The Val Jackson Suite'.

Derbyshire is home to three further CDCs, located at Walton Community Hospital in Chesterfield, Florence Nightingale Community Hospital in Derby, and Whitworth Community Hospital in Matlock. Nearby Tamworth is also has a CDC located at Sir Robert Peel Community Hospital.

Read more

The NHS is partnering with national charity Heartburn Cancer UK to launch a targeted campaign in Derby.

Derby has a high prevalence of upper gastrointestinal cancer and is one of only two areas in the country chosen to work with Heartburn Cancer UK due to its high prevalence of upper gastrointestinal cancer.

The campaign will be piloted in areas just south of Derby City, where we know that people often present later for upper gastrointestinal cancer, often at stages three and four where outcomes are poorer.

In Derby City South, 7% of urgent suspected upper gastrointestinal cancer referrals present at a late stage, a figure higher than many areas of the county where the majority range from 4% to 6% depending on the locality.

During Oesophageal Cancer Awareness Month, the six-week campaign urges people to seek medical advice if they have persistent heartburn, a key risk factor for oesophageal cancer.

Residents in Alvaston, Sinfin, Chellaston, and Melbourne can expect to see campaign messages in GP practices, on pharmacy shelves, and even on fuel pump nozzles.

Read more

The Derby and Derbyshire Team Up Home Visiting Service frees up GP capacity, according to 86% of people working in primary care who completed a recent survey.

187 primary care staff, including GPs, practice managers and advanced nurse practitioners, filled out the survey which also showed that 93% would recommend the service.

72% said the service enabled people who needed care at home to be seen earlier in the day and 59% said it provided more time to care for patients.

A similar survey was also sent to the Home Visiting Team workforce with 99% recommending the service and 93% recommending it as a place to work.

Angela Pownell, Operations Manager in the High Peak, said: “We look forward to receiving the results from our annual survey as it provides us with valuable information and insight into the views and opinions of our community members, colleagues across primary care, and our own team.   

“We are hopeful that we have helped to reduce the workload of our colleagues in primary care allowing us all to positively support our community. Furthermore, we are thankful for the opportunity that we have been given to collaborate and integrate with our system partners across health and social care. "

Read more 

Methods to remove the barriers that prevent people from underserved communities in Derbyshire from participating in health research have been shared at two celebration events.

Derbyshire Community Health Services Foundation Trust have produced a menu of methods that researchers can use to remove or reduce barriers  - and in this way reduce health inequalities.

They spoke in depth to 108 people in two of the most deprived parts of Chesterfield.

The research findings were shared back with these community groups through celebration events at The Haven, Barrow Hill, and The Hub @ Lower Pavement, Chesterfield.

Tracey Elder, who led the research, said: "Residents in deprived areas often face significant challenges in accessing healthcare, community services, and public spaces.

"People who live in more deprived areas experience increased health inequalities, including lower life expectancy and higher rates of illness.

"It is also the case that underserved communities are often excluded from health research and that means their needs and experiences are not fully understood, leading to healthcare services and treatments that do not work for everyone.

"This risks further inequalities in access and representation."

Read more 

Health inequalities and how to tackle them were the subjects of discussion at February's Derbyshire Dialogue.

A panel of expert speakers guided the audience through examples of good practice across the Derby and Derbyshire healthcare system.

Dr Victor Jeganathan shared a toolkit that provides advice that all healthcare providers can follow. This is structured around:

1.      Defining the focus of health inequalities

2.      Understanding the data

3.      Adjusting pathways to ensure equity

4.      Evaluating action taken

5.      Staff development and training

Dr Jo Hall reminded the audience that in Derbyshire there is a difference of 18 years of good health people that people can expect between the most deprived and the least deprived areas.

This is measured by the Index of Multiple Deprivation, which takes into account factors including income, employment, skills and living environments.

Dr Hall said that services have to adapt by tailoring solutions to tackle that inequality.

She said: "Treating everybody the same doesn't make things fairer. What we should think about instead of making things fairer or equitable.

"For some people that might mean they need a longer appointment with a medical professional."

You can watch the Derbyshire Dialogue again on our YouTube channel.

Read more

NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board and NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board are pleased to announce that Bill Shields is joining both organisations as their new Chief Finance Officer. Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) are responsible for understanding local health needs, and for allocating funding to meet these needs.

Mr Shields replaces Keith Griffiths and Stuart Poynor, who both left their respective organisations in recent months.

On the arrival of Mr Shields, Dr Chris Clayton, Chief Executive Officer of NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICB, said: “We’re delighted to have been able to secure the services of a candidate with Bill’s experience and calibre. The joint arrangements further cement the partnership working across the East Midlands, connected to the opportunities available through the creation of the East Midlands Combined County Authority. It has enabled the recruitment to a more strategic role, and Bill will lead the development of a strategy for financial sustainability across two systems to enable us to maximising synergies and benefits across the systems to meet our aims to improve health and healthcare.”

Amanda Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer of NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB said: “Welcoming Bill to this role to oversee our future ICB financial planning is an important step. Working alongside our ICB executives and wider system partners, Bill will lead the development and delivery of our long-term financial strategy. In seeking to meet our aims to improve local health and healthcare care, this financial strategy will ensure that NHS resources are effectively deployed and used to provide the best possible care for the population.”

Read more

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton and Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trusts went live with Nervecentre in February following ten months of planning and development.

The two neighbouring Trusts saw the first module of their new electronic patient record (EPR) system launch across six hospitals as part of a collaborative multi-year digital transformation programme.

EPR systems are a centralised way of holding detailed information about a person's care and health, and the new system, Nervecentre, works best on handheld devices meaning colleagues now use mobile phones and tablets to document patient care.

Read more

The NHS has announced a further period of engagement to help shape its 10-year plan.

So far, over 100,000 people across the country have shared their thoughts and ideas on improving the NHS.

Locally in Derby and Derbyshire, more than 180 people shared their thoughts and ideas about how the NHS should work as part of seven events that took place in January and February.

Members of the public, local councillors, voluntary organisations, and people with lived experience of learning disabilities and mental health conditions joined the discussions.

The workshops were organised in partnership with Healthwatch Derbyshire, Healthwatch Derby, The Workshop Derby, Mental Health Together, and NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board.

During the events, people heard from local health leaders and had the chance to share their ideas and concerns for the NHS.

A full report is being prepared and will be shared with those who took part, as well as being submitted to Change NHS.

Now, the NHS nationally is asking for your help to finalise the plan by sharing your views on the emerging ideas.

Ideas from the engagement so far highlight the need for stronger support for both physical and mental health. People have also told us that organisations and individuals outside the NHS must play a greater role in helping people stay healthy.

We often hear that people struggle to access health services and experience long waits. This exercise will explore potential solutions, such as delivering more care in community settings and expanding services beyond traditional healthcare environments.

You also told us that NHS staff are one of the service's greatest strengths, with their hard work and dedication ensuring high-quality care. However, many people feel that care can still feel disjointed. Suggestions to improve this include better support for staff to deliver personalised care in partnership with families and carers, and ensuring people with complex health needs are prioritised to help them get the right help as early as possible.

There was a lot of support for the role of technology in healthcare, but also some concerns. You shared that having a single, digital care record that all healthcare professionals can access would help to make your care journey feel more 'joined-up'.

This survey asks questions to find out how you would feel about certain things being implemented, and what concerns you might have about some of the ideas raised.

Help us finalise the plan by sharing your thoughts about these ideas. If we get this right, we can deliver what we’ve heard matters most – supported staff, shorter waits, quicker treatment and better care. 

Take the survey here

The deadline for feedback is 5pm on Monday 14 April.

If you have any feedback, or questions, please email us at: ddicb.communications@nhs.net.

Disclaimer:
While every effort has been made to ensure the contents of this bulletin are accurate and up-to-date NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board do not accept any responsibility of any omission or inaccuracy as it is not deliberate. Nevertheless, we will appreciate provision of accurate information to improve our work. Where links are provided to external content, NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board holds no responsibility for such content or accuracy.