10.01.18
Struggling ambulance trust launches integrated services hub
South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb) has introduced a new Wellbeing Hub which brings together a range of previously separate services.
As part of the trust’s wellbeing strategy, the new hub includes mental and emotional support, physical health, physiotherapy referrals, and trauma management, which are now all available in the same facility.
Daren Mochrie, SECAmb’s chief executive, said that the aim of the new hub was to create a “single, clear and accessible point for all staff and volunteers” to obtain advice and support.
The trust has previously struggled to perform at acceptable levels, and stayed in special measures after a CQC investigation in May 2017 found “deep-rooted problems” across services.
However, Mochrie said the Wellbeing Hub is a step forward for SECAmb , as it was a result of the wellbeing strategy that all staff in the trust were able to consult and give opinions on.
“It brings together a number of areas which, taken together, all impact on the wellbeing of staff but which previously had not always been very accessible, in a single place,” he explained.
“Staff wellbeing is an integral part of our strategy and I see this launch as a real step forward in demonstrating our commitment to making things better for all staff and volunteers.”
Coordinating services was one of the main conclusions found by the strategy consultation, with staff specifically saying they had struggled to access all services as quickly as necessary.
SECAmb was originally placed in special measures in September of 2016 but failed to meet with the requirements of a warning notice which was presented to it by the CQC.
Further inspections found other failures with the trust, including a consistent failure from voice recording systems to record 999 calls, and problems with the efficacy and timeliness of 111 calls.
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