During my visit to Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, I saw first-hand the work of its Stafford-based forensic mental health services. The day started with a helpful discussion with chair Jacqueline Small and chief executive Neil Carr about their wide-ranging system work and profile of services, achievements on improvement and staff engagement, as well as the financial and operational challenges facing the trust.
I visited The Hatherton Centre, a medium secure unit specialising in male mental health assessment and treatment, especially of those who've committed a criminal offence or pose a serious risk of violence to others. It's clear how out-of-date the estate is and how care could be transformed with modern facilities in place. The centre includes a ward in a Victorian building – common for many mental health services. Cosmetic work has been done, but a rebuild is needed. Unfortunately, the trust lacks access to the capital funding to allow this.
Even so, patient surveys consistently praise the Centre's homely atmosphere. The trust rightly credits this to its highly skilled and dedicated staff. Patients can take part in therapeutic activities like gardening and are supported to use the internet and smartphones safely and securely. The team has also adopted Safewards, an internationally recognised programme which recommends 10 positive actions staff on mental health wards can take to reduce tension, conflict and the risk of patients needing to be physically restrained.
High levels of patient and staff engagement are clear. The trust has a lived experience director on its board and the constructive challenge they provide is already making a real difference. Committed to being a fantastic workplace, in the national 2023 NHS Staff Survey it scored above average in all nine key 'People Promise' elements, receiving the best scores nationally in five key areas.
The trust is proud to be a research-led organisation and recently achieved University Trust status, granted by Keele University. It also has strong partnerships with local universities, helping it recruit staff directly. It also invested in nursing associate roles to help grow workforce from the ground up.
Importantly, with a focus on retention, Midlands Partnership understands the importance of allowing staff to pursue their next career step, whether in research or another area of health. For example, in response to nurses wanting to maintain physical health skills, roles were created combining duties in physical health services with providing patient care in the medium secure unit.
One way the organisation supports staff to impact on quality of care, increase trust productivity and ensure environmental sustainability is through deployment of continuous improvement. Staff can implement and sustain changes through lean working, based on the Virginia Mason Production model. However, concerns about how far they could go without proper investment and national support on capital were palpable.
The trust's good work is being noticed. On the day we visited, it found out it's a finalist in the 2024 HSJ Trust of the Year award. Congratulations, Midlands Partnership!
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