News

The National Guardian’s Office Annual Report was laid before Parliament today, highlighting the work of Freedom to Speak Up Guardians and the National Guardian’s Office.

The report shares learning which indicates that more work is needed for speaking up to be described as business as usual in the healthcare sector in England.

The report features case studies from across England, illustrating the difference Freedom to Speak Up Guardians are making and examples of how healthcare workers are being supported to speak up for patient safety and worker wellbeing.

On 1 November 2023, First Community welcomed Keith Moss as Non-Executive Director. Keith will replace Bryan Ingeby who comes to the end of his term on 28 February 2024.

Keith joins Debbie Stubblefield and Fiona Smith as a NED who are responsible for contributing to the organisation’s strategic direction and governance of performance and resources.

In 2021 First Community launched its First Community Network to enable the public to have more input into the way community health services are provided and developed.

With 15 registered volunteers currently part of the network, the organisation is now looking to expand the membership to gain further insight and opinions of those in the community it serves. 

Local charity Friends of Caterham Dene Hospital have raised £25,000 to fund a new ultrasound machine, enhancing Caterham Dene Hospital’s diagnostic capabilities and patient care.

On 20 September 2023 members of First Community’s Integrated Clinical Assessment and Treatment (ICATS) service were delighted to meet with trustees from the Friends of Caterham Dene Hospital for the official handover of the machine (pictured above). 

Last week First Community signed up to the Sexual Safety in Healthcare Charter which NHS England launched earlier this month. Signatories to this charter commit to taking and enforcing a zero-tolerance approach to any unwanted, inappropriate and/or harmful sexual behaviours within the workplace, and to ten core principles and actions to help achieve this.

By signing up to the charter First Community is showing how committed the organisation is and the need to raise the profile of sexual safety. First Community aims to implement all actions by July 2024.

First Community’s Community Nursing Service is led by specialist practitioners who head up the team of community nurses and health care assistants working with patients and their families with acute, complex and end of life needs to maximise their health and wellbeing.
 
The team provides a wide range of services to housebound patients, including:

East Surrey resident Sarah Parker has successfully completed a rehabilitation programme with First Community’s Long Covid Team and embraces a ‘new normal’ as she returns to full time work and resumes routine daily activities.  

Alongside regular chest infections and an underlying asthma condition, Sarah contracted Covid-19 in November 2020.

First Community has published its Quality Account for 2022-2023.

The annual report outlines the quality of the NHS health and care services we provide across east Surrey and West Sussex.

The National Guardian Freedom to Speak Up recognises First Community for ranking first across all Speaking Up questions and in some cases having scores improving where most organisations are deteriorating in the NHS 2022 staff survey.

Freedom to Speak up is about enabling staff to speak up about anything that gets in the way of doing a great job.  Freedom to Speak Up Guardians support workers to speak up when they feel that they are unable to in other ways.

Families in Surrey now have access to videos, advice, guidance and tips all about asthma in children and young people thanks to a new Asthma Toolkit which is live on the Healthy Surrey website.