THE COUNTY’S health trust is seeking out clinical ‘buddies’ in efforts to raise its standards.
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (WAHT) is seeking guidance from other Trusts across the country to aid its development after being put into special measures.
The Trust was branded as ‘inadequate’ by the Care Quality Commission in December last year at both the Alexandra Hospital and Worcestershire Royal.
Kidderminster Hospital and Treatment Centre faired slightly better with an overall rating of ‘requires improvement’.
Under the traditional model, Trusts placed in special measures would be matched with a single hospital Trust which would support and help it improve.
However, recognising that different Trusts have different specialities, WAHT is hoping to engage with Trusts as far afield as Oxford and York.
WAHT already has a working relationship with Birmingham’s Womens Hospital which has led to the development of a contract with Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust to ensure it continues to follow best practice across its maternity, neonatal and paediatric services.
Speaking at a meeting of the WAHT board at Kidderminster Hospital on Wednesday (February 3), Mari Gay, interim chief nursing officer, said the buddy scheme is ‘one of the postive things to come out of entering special measures’.
WAHT chairman, Harry Turner, who is standing down in March, praised the buddy trust scheme as ‘fantastic’.
