Celebrating change and successes at UHP’s 2026 AGM | Latest News

Looking back over the last year

Our Annual General Meeting is always an opportunity to reflect on the year we've shared and celebrate the achievements of our colleagues, volunteers, patients and partners.

This year's AGM highlighted some remarkable accomplishments, from becoming the highest recruiting NHS Trust in England for research studies to improvements in urgent and emergency care, advances in robotic surgery and strengthening the voice of patients and young people in shaping our future.

Chairman James Brent opened the meeting by celebrating UHP's progress and outlining three priorities for the future: creating an organisation where colleagues love coming to work, working closely with partners to focus on delivering outstanding acute care, and continuing to improve productivity and efficiency.

Chief Executive Neil Macdonald reflected on his first year at UHP, thanking colleagues and partners for their support and noting the importance of innovation, research and collaboration in delivering better care for patients. "I am excited to hear about our advances in robotics, our success in research and the incredible contribution of our Young People's Patient Council," he said.

The AGM then opened with a short film showcasing some of UHP's achievements over the past year. You can watch that, here.

 

Our 2025/26 Year in Numbers

In 2025/26:

• 190,728 patients attended our urgent and emergency care services

• 29,725 patients were cared for through Same Day Emergency Care

• 24,040 planned operations were carried out in our theatres

• 679,572 outpatient appointments were attended

• 79,657 patients received care as emergency inpatients, elective inpatients or day cases

• 11,832 colleagues made up our diverse, committed and compassionate #1BigTeam

• 45,643 participants were recruited into research studies, making UHP the highest recruiting NHS Trust in England

 

About the money

Chief Financial Officer Sarah Brampton presented the Trust's audited accounts for 2025/26, available in the Annual Report and Summary Annual Report.

Sarah highlighted the scale of activity delivered across UHP, explaining that it costs around £1.2 billion each year to provide care for local communities. Despite rising demand, the Trust delivered around two per cent more activity than the previous year while also achieving £70 million in efficiency savings.

The year also saw a number of positive improvements, including more than 3,000 babies born at UHP, increased use of the Urgent Treatment Centre, 31,000 fewer ambulance handover delays and a 3.5% improvement in four-hour emergency care performance.

Sarah described the year as a strong financial performance which provides firm foundations for delivering the Trust's strategic priorities.

 

A landmark year for research

One of the highlights of the AGM came from Michael Visick from UHP's Research and Development team.

After finishing second nationally for research recruitment last year, UHP has now become the highest recruiting NHS Trust in England, recruiting more than 45,000 participants into clinical trials and studies during 2025/26.

Michael described the achievement as a landmark moment for the organisation, but emphasised that the true value of research lies in the difference it makes for patients. The audience heard stories from people whose lives have been transformed through access to innovative treatments and clinical studies.

The programme's success has attracted national recognition, investment and leading clinical researchers, while UHP's mobile research units continue to take studies directly into communities.

Looking ahead, Michael announced plans for a new dedicated research facility, supported by additional capital funding, which will create even more opportunities for patients to participate in life-changing research.

"Research is not an add-on to the NHS. Research attracts good clinicians, good clinicians deliver good care, and good care leads to better outcomes for patients."

 

Innovating through surgery

Consultant colorectal surgeon Sebastian Smolarek presented examples of how innovation is transforming surgical care at UHP. Surgery achieved a "Good" rating across all five Care Quality Commission domains last year, providing a strong foundation for further improvements.

A central part of this success has been the Trust's robotic surgery programme. UHP now operates fourth-generation robotic systems and has carried out more than 780 robotic procedures during the year, making it one of the largest programmes in the country. This means patients continue to benefit from reduced complications, shorter hospital stays and faster recoveries.

The audience also heard about ColoCap, an innovative colon capsule programme in which patients swallow a small camera capsule that provides detailed imaging of the bowel. UHP is among the early NHS adopters of this technology.

Sebastian ended his presentation with a goal for the future: "We are already the best in the South West. Our ambition is to become the best in the country.”

 

Shifting care closer to home

The AGM also explored the national move towards neighbourhood healthcare and supporting more people to receive care closer to home. Dr David Adams and Alex Faulkes, Deputy Director of Strategy and Transformation, outlined how the NHS 10 Year Plan is built around three major shifts:

• From hospital to community

• From analogue to digital

• From treatment to prevention

UHP is already developing services aligned to these ambitions. Examples include specialist diabetes outreach clinics operating alongside primary care teams, expanded cardiology and respiratory support within communities, and work to identify patients earlier before conditions deteriorate.

The audience also heard about BRAVE AI, a population health tool being used across local primary care networks to identify people most at risk of deterioration from conditions such as diabetes, respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease.

This proactive approach aims to improve health outcomes, reduce admissions and ensure healthcare resources are used where they can have the greatest impact.

 

Putting patients at the heart of UHP’s conversations

Patient Council Chair Peter Holliday reflected on the progress made by the Patient Council over the past year.

Thanking the Council's volunteer members for their commitment, Peter described the group's purpose as ensuring the patient voice is both heard but also acted upon.

Peter plotted the journey the Council has undergone, moving from a largely observational role to becoming a more influential contributor within the organisation.

Patient experience data is now routinely shared and discussed with Council members, helping them understand emerging themes and contribute more effectively to improvements. Examples of the Council's impact included discussions around MyCare and ensuring concerns raised by patients about access to historical information were addressed appropriately.

 

The future through the eyes of our young people

The AGM concluded with a presentation from the Young People's Patient Council (YPPC), described by Neil as the "grand finale".

Since launching in October 2024, the YPPC has become a powerful voice for young people across Plymouth and the wider region. Members have contributed to patient experience surveys, PLACE assessments, recruitment panels, environmental improvements and research projects. Highlights from the year included:

• Supporting accessibility improvements across hospital environments

• Introducing a quiet hour initiative on Wildgoose Ward

• Developing artwork displays to create more welcoming clinical spaces

• Participating in recruitment panels for senior roles

• Supporting projects focused on food, transitions between children's and adult services, and young people's experiences of care

Members have also developed partnerships with organisations across the city and are passionate about creating more volunteering and work experience opportunities for young people interested in healthcare careers.

Looking ahead, YPPC hopes to expand volunteering opportunities, strengthen career pathways for those interested in careers in healthcare and continue to have input into Trust decision making.

 

Looking ahead

Closing the AGM, James Brent reflected on the themes that had run throughout the afternoon.

"What we've heard today demonstrates the impact strong leadership can have. Research is changing lives, innovation is transforming patient care, and our Patient Council and Young People's Patient Council are helping shape the future of this organisation.

"This is not the same old UHP. We are seeing leadership at every level of the organisation and that is enormously exciting.

"We still face significant challenges. We must continue to improve emergency care, we must eliminate corridor care, and we must become even more productive and efficient. But there is every reason to look to the future with optimism.

"To all our colleagues, volunteers, patients and partners, thank you."