News from University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
News from UHP - April 2025
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UHP rated most improved for patients attending as emergencies
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Leading innovation in Maternity Care and earning national recognition
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UHP rated most improved for patients attending as emergencies
We have been rated the most improved Trust in England in relation to the 4-hour target despite increased demand for the Emergency Department.
In data shared by NHS England, UHP is leading the trusts who have made the most improvement regarding the 4-hour waiting time target for patients attending our Urgent and Emergency Care services and Minor Injury Units during the 2024/25 year. The 4-hour target for 2024/25 is to see and treat 78% of patients within 4 hours of them arriving. In 2023/24 UHP was seeing an average of 54.9% of patients within 4 hours, but with the recent improvements this has risen by almost 10% to 64.8% in the 2024/25 financial year to date.
UHP is also among the top 10 trusts in the country for improvements in the number of patients waiting more than 12 hours in the Emergency Department. In 2023/24, 18% of patients attending as emergencies would have waited more than 12 hours, however, in the 2024/25 financial year to date this has decreased to 16% of patients.
These improvements have been made despite demand for emergency services at UHP increasing by 6.1% in 2024/25, equating to an additional 4,646 attendances. Meeting this additional demand and improving the experience for the almost 300 patients attending the Emergency Department each day has been possible due to the commitment and dedication of colleagues who are working on the Trust’s ‘One Plan’ – a programme which is driving improvements in the quality of urgent and emergency care for patients.
Vicky Carter, Senior Matron for Urgent and Emergency Care, said: “For our patients, what we are showing is that they are not waiting in the back of ambulances for as long. We’re able to get them into a more comfortable space, we’re able to get them onto an appropriate bed.
“We’ve hugely increased the in reach from virtual wards, Same Day Emergency Care Unit (SDEC), frailty, our frequent attender’s team, our homeless team – that really feels different. If you’re a patient coming in and seeking specific support, it is much easier now to connect with that specific support than it ever was before.”
Read the full story about our improved rating for patients attending as emergencies
Milestone for Plymouth Community Diagnostic Centre as concrete frame takes shape at Colin Campbell Court
We have reached a milestone with the construction of the Plymouth Community Diagnostic Centre. This state-of-the-art facility, spanning 3 floors, is set to provide high quality diagnostic testing for our patients in Plymouth and the surrounding areas.
The decision to build the Community Diagnostic Centre in the city centre supports our aim to make it easier for people to access diagnostic tests without having to travel to Derriford Hospital. With convenient access to public transport and parking, the facility will be open from 8am until 8pm Monday to Friday.
Plymouth Community Diagnostic Centre will provide access to over 14 types of tests, including CT, MRI, Ultrasound and X-ray as well as ECHO, ECG, EEG and more.
Nicki Collas, Associate Director, Future Hospital Programme said: “To see the construction of the concrete frame is a really significant milestone for us.
“This building will improve health by offering convenient and accessible diagnostic services closer to patients’ homes, leading to earlier and faster diagnoses and quicker and more effective treatment, potentially saving lives.
“The city centre location will help reduce pressure on Derriford hospital, will improve patient outcomes, and address health inequalities in the city.
“We’re excited to be delivering this much needed service to the people of Plymouth and the surrounding areas”.
Councillor Mary Aspinall, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, said: “This is great to see: real progress on a centre that could help save lives in Plymouth and certainly radically improve people’s health. Diagnostic tests play such an important role in helping our NHS identify issues and treat them early on.
“Having access in the city centre to an array of tests is so important for our residents, especially those living in nearby neighbourhoods of Stonehouse, Millbay and Devonport.
“If we want to make Plymouth a great place to grow up and grow old, having better access to health facilities is key! It’s brilliant to see so much progress at this very important site.”
Trust receives £1.2m investment into renewable energy
We have been awarded £1.2m towards energy efficiency projects and renewable energy.
UHP has been awarded £549,167 for a solar power project in Plymouth, thanks to funding from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The funding is part of a package of £100m from Great British Energy for the NHS to install solar power and battery storage solutions to help drive down energy bills. University Hospitals Plymouth is one of 78 trusts to be awarded funding.
In addition, the Trust has been awarded £637k for LED lighting and solar projects from the NHS National Energy Efficiency fund and £24k from the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme which is crucial to identify energy opportunities for the long-term decarbonisation of the estate.
The £1.2m investment provided will enable the installation of approximately 2200 LED lights and 1400 solar panels across the UHP estate. It is estimated the projects at Derriford Hospital will reduce energy consumption equivalent to the electricity consumed on average by 435 households per year.
Sarah Brampton, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Finance Officer at UHP, said: “As the major trauma centre for the peninsula, UHP is a large acute trust with over 900 inpatient beds and over 650,000 outpatient appointments last year.
“When you consider heating, lighting, all of the specialist equipment, theatres, and 10,000 staff, it goes without saying that the energy consumption and costs across our estates are significant.
“These successful grant applications for green energy will help our ambition as part of our green plan to increase onsite renewable sources, including installing solar and LED lighting across the estate by 2032.”
Chief Sustainability Officer at NHS England, Chris Gormley said: “Thanks to the dedication of teams nationwide, the NHS has already implemented hundreds of projects that enhance energy efficiency and drive significant cost savings.
“These vital savings can be reinvested directly into frontline care, ensuring the NHS continues to deliver for our patients and communities.”
Investing in renewable energy, energy efficiency and other carbon reduction measures as per UHP’s Green Plan commitments will save up to approximately £2 million per year allowing costs to be redirected into front line care.
Cutting-edge computing power for clinical research
A new machine learning server will help researchers at UHP analyse clinical research data on site with the aim of improving patient care and service delivery.
A high-powered server ready for the latest artificial intelligence technologies has been installed at the Trust, thanks to a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) capital investment which provided £30m to NHS trusts in England.
The machine will enable UHP to analyse large clinical datasets on site, enabling cutting-edge research on large pre-existing datasets. The aim is to translate the knowledge gained into improvements for patient care and more efficient service planning. The equipment will also help to build on the ongoing collaboration between UHP and our university partners, University of Plymouth and University of Exeter.
UHP was one of 36 NHS organisations to be awarded funding by the NIHR as part of their capital funding investment to fund the latest research-focused medical equipment and technology. The NIHR funding will support NHS trusts to deliver cutting edge research to improve the prevention, management and treatment of disease. The Research and Development team worked in collaboration with clinical staff to prepare the successful bid in early 2024. The equipment has been successfully deployed and went live in October 2024.
The new equipment can be accessed from any Trust computer, meaning that the ability to analyse large datasets is no longer dependent on having a computer powerful enough to manage the demand. As well as improving the access to data for existing researchers, this improvement has also helped to reduce the barriers for medical staff who are interested in getting involved with research.
The server has now been in place for a number of months and is in regular use by multiple UHP researchers. It is being used to explore cutting edge machine learning models, helping UHP provide cutting edge research and develop a highly skilled workforce.
Leading innovation in Maternity Care and earning national recognition
Sarah Saxby, Transformation Midwife, is at the forefront of maternity care innovation, ensuring comprehensive, personalised support for women and birthing people. Her commitment to service improvement and patient-centred care has now earned national recognition through the prestigious Chief Midwifery Officer Silver Award, presented by Kate Brintworth, Chief Midwifery Officer for England.
With over 17 years in midwifery, including seven at the Trust, Sarah has demonstrated unwavering dedication to enhancing maternity services. She’s played a crucial role in implementing Personalised Care and Support Plans (PCSPs), mandated by the Ockenden Report and the Maternity Transformation Programme. These plans, now integrated into UHP’s digital notes system, facilitate real-time updates, improved communication among healthcare professionals, and support environmental sustainability. A November 2024 audit confirmed strong adherence to guidelines, with positive feedback from staff and service users alike.
Reflecting on her recognition, Sarah said: “I am very lucky to be in a position to be able to contribute to service improvement with a great regional team, therefore it was a huge surprise to be recognised for doing my everyday job. It is very uplifting to know this work is appreciated and that the difference it’s making is felt positively.”
Catherine-Anne Wilkins, Interim Director of Midwifery, added: “Sarah’s dedication to personalised care, innovative practices, and collaborative efforts significantly enhance patient experiences and outcomes, making her a standout figure in her field. The successful roll-out highlights her effective outreach and engagement strategy.”
Looking ahead, Sarah remains committed to further embedding PCSPs into maternity care. “Personalised care remains high on the agenda and increased improvement and education around this is key. With the move to a Devon-wide digital note system, this is our real opportunity to develop and incorporate PCSPs fully into maternity care,” she said.
Sarah’s leadership extends to gathering and utilising patient feedback to drive meaningful changes. Her contributions to CQC Maternity Surveys and ‘15 Steps reviews’ have led to immediate enhancements in maternity services. Additionally, her introduction of digital resources, including QR code trees and multilingual video content, has empowered patients with accessible, informed decision-making tools.
A key milestone in Sarah’s career has been the successful rollout of the ‘Real Birth Company’ digital antenatal package in September 2023. This initiative, accessed by over 736 new users, offers user-friendly, animated, and easily accessible digital support for mothers-to-be, further demonstrating her effective outreach and engagement strategies.
Sean Wylie crowned UHP Apprentice of the Year
Sean Wylie, a Healthcare Science Practitioner Apprentice at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP), has won the coveted UHP Apprentice of the Year title for 2024.
Sean Wylie, who is currently studying at the University of West England (UWE) for a level 6 apprenticeship as a Healthcare Science Practitioner based in the Radiotherapy Physics department, was presented with the award alongside a surprise from the Radiophysics department.
The Apprenticeships team, who are part of UHP’s Learning and Organisational Development team, celebrate valued apprentices each month, giving out Apprentice of the Month awards. The team then collate the winners from across the year and invite Trust colleagues to vote for the coveted Apprentice of the Year award.
Speaking about his success this year, Sean said: “I am really thankful for winning the award and it was a big surprise to see all of the team there clapping. I am thoroughly enjoying the course, gaining so much experience from it, and the team are really helping me to get the most from the opportunity.”
Sean’s apprenticeship has been designed for him to develop in the field of medical physics and specialise in radiation physics, nuclear medicine or radiotherapy physics. The combination of studying (which has involved travelling up to UWE at times) and working in the department at UHP has enabled him to practice the technical knowledge needed to research, develop, test and maintain specialist equipment used to prevent, diagnose and treat many conditions.
Sean’s Line Manager and Clinical Technologist in Radiotherapy Physics, Leanne Moore, said: “Sean has consistently shown motivation and dedication towards the apprenticeship. Sean has been reliable and diligent in all aspects of his work and studies and always goes beyond what is asked of him. He has achieved consistently high grades in all assignments this year. Sean is extremely conscientious and has embedded well within the team. He is not the type of person to sing his own successes, so his colleagues would like to do it for him! We look forward to seeing him develop as a practitioner and are very proud of how hard he has been working.”
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