From Board to Ward - October 2026
In October’s Board to Ward we share three highlights:
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Natasha, Anna Marie and Sean from Site Services share the vital role they play in patient care
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Maternity and Neonatal Services continue to demonstrate strong culture and improving outcomes
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A view from the Guardian’s Officer during October’s Speak Up Month
Natasha and Sean from Site Services share the vital role they play in patient care
"Clinical colleagues cannot do their jobs without our site services colleagues. They are absolutely essential to patient care, from ensuring beds are turned around quickly and safely to supporting infection control and helping services run smoothly across the Trust." as Herjinder Cleaver, Chief People Officer, explained.
The Board heard first-hand about the invaluable contribution that Sean, Natasha, and their colleagues in Site Services make to patient care every day, as well as the good improvements they are having in their NHS Staff Survey completion rates in the department.
Representing a workforce of more than 600 colleagues across over 20 different roles, the team shared how services including portering, linen, catering, rapid response and other operational functions help keep the hospital running safely and efficiently.
Alongside their manager Anna-Marie, they spoke passionately about their experiences and the importance of ensuring every colleague's voice is heard. One of the reasons for their attendance at board was to showcase their focus on this year's NHS Staff Survey. Recognising that many Site Services colleagues are not desk-based and may not regularly use digital technology as part of their role, the team has introduced paper surveys alongside the available digital options. This approach has helped increase participation, with response rates rising significantly from 22% last year to well over 40% this year, with still plenty of time to go.
Natasha and Sean shared how the paper format made the survey more accessible for many colleagues. They described how teams came together in shared spaces, including the library, to discuss and complete the survey if they needed, and helping colleagues whose first language is not English to better understand the questions and contribute their views.
Board members thanked the team for their efforts and reflected on the importance of listening to all staff voices when shaping the future of the organisation, including their involvement in the development of our strategy and values, a large piece of work that is taking place at the moment across our workforce and with our external partners.
Sean also shared a personal perspective on caring for patients, explaining how his parents are currently receiving treatments for healthcare themselves. "I look at every patient as somebody's partner, friend or family member," he explained, describing how he tries to bring warmth and conversation to the people he meets each day. “Without doubt, this makes it the best job I’ve ever had.”
Site Services staff represent nearly one in every ten colleagues across the organisation and are a vital part of the chain that enables excellent patient care every day.
Maternity and Neonatal Services demonstrating improvements to culture and outcomes
The Board received the Quarter 1 Maternity and Neonatal Services report, highlighting continued improvements in culture, quality and safety across the service, alongside positive feedback from a recent NHS England visit.
Board members praised the leadership shown by nursing and medical colleagues and reflected on the significant cultural progress that has been achieved in a relatively short period of time. The report detailed an improvement in learning, actively seeking feedback from patient groups and patient representatives.
The service also continues to see favourable and sustained reductions in neonatal readmissions to intensive care, providing reassurance around the quality and effectiveness of the care being delivered. Board members also welcomed the feedback from the recent NHS England insights visit, which recognised:
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A strong and continually improving culture
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Compassionate and committed teams
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Visible and engaged leadership
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Staff who feel increasingly able to raise concerns and speak up
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A continued focus on quality improvement and personalised care
The discussion highlighted the importance of maternity triage as the "front door" to the service and one of the most critical areas for ensuring women receive timely assessment and care. The team is continuing to strengthen compliance with triage standards, with improvements in electronic patient record data capture helping provide a more accurate picture of performance, including the ambition for patients to be assessed within 15 minutes of arriving.
The service has developed a strong strategy of listening closely to feedback which is gathered and triangulated through a variety of sources, including the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP), PALS, and the Friends and Family Test, helping the team identify areas for improvement as well as celebrate success.
The report touches on the MNVP’s "15 Steps" review of maternity environments provided valuable external perspectives on the patient experience. As a result, action has already been taken to improve signage, information and navigation throughout maternity services, making it easier for women and families to access the right support when they need it.
The Board recognised the considerable demands placed on teams during the quarter, including the implementation of Epic and a number of new national requirements. Despite these pressures, staff maintained high standards of care and continued to make progress in key areas such as mandatory training compliance, which is now back above 90%.
A view from the Guardian’s office during October’s Speak Up Month
The Board reviewed the latest Freedom to Speak Up (FTSU) report and heard encouraging evidence that colleagues continue to engage with the service and feel able to raise concerns. However there remains work to do on our speaking up culture, with around 70% of colleagues having already raised their concerns with managers or through other routes before contacting the Guardian's Office.
Between April and August, 214 concerns were raised through the Freedom to Speak Up route, with more than 93% receiving an initial response within two working days. The most common themes related to workplace culture and behaviours, communication and engagement, staff wellbeing and psychological safety, and confidence in organisational processes.
Discussions reflected that the success of Freedom to Speak Up is not only measured by whether colleagues feel able to raise concerns, but also by what happens afterwards, and that is key to how we improve our speaking up culture at UHP.
The Trust’s Freedom to Speak Up Guardian Maria Farrow-Jones, highlighted the significant progress that has been made over recent years. She described the Guardian service as accessible, responsive and increasingly well understood across the organisation, with strong governance through the FTSU Steering Group. Each division at the Trust now completes self-assessments and improvement plans to strengthen their local speaking up culture.
Board members also heard that UHP's work to tackle detriment and protect colleagues who speak up has received national recognition, while engagement during National Speak Up Month demonstrated growing awareness and confidence in the service.
Maria stated that whilst we have strong foundations in place, thanks to the tireless work of many over the last few years, the next challenge is ensuring colleagues can see the impact of speaking up when they have taken the time, and bravery, to do so. There was also discussion about the importance of maintaining a strong speaking up culture during periods of organisational pressure, particularly as we head into winter.
Maria and Charlotte, our UHP Freedom To Speak Up Guardian’s, and the rest of UHP, have been marking Speak Up Month by wearing green. You can see a selection of colleagues marking the month below (insert pics).
In other news:
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The board also congratulated Sarah Brampton, who has been successfully appointed to Livewell Southwest as their new Chief Executive. James Brent, UHP Chairman, said that it is a mark of a strong organisation that produces Chief Executive talent for others, and wished her well with her new role.
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Our vaccination campaign is in full flow at UHP. We had our wonderful team of vaccinators down to Board to vaccinate attendees.
Thanks for reading. Every month our Board leaders meet in public.
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Do you want to ask our Board leaders a question? Email plh-tr.corporate.governance@nhs.net
