Festive thanks from the Chair and the CEO
A festive message of thanks to all our staff
Dear colleagues,
A genuine thank you for everything you have done in 2022. To everyone who is working over Christmas and New Year – it’s so very appreciated. We know the year ends with our services as busy as when it began, and you have all done your absolute best to ensure patients receive safe and compassionate care in often difficult circumstances. We are grateful and proud when we see the resilience of our staff and the way colleagues continue to support each other.
As ever, we urge you to focus on your own wellbeing. We can often neglect our own needs as we put others first. You can access support and information about a whole host of health, wellbeing and general issues here. The Financial Wellbeing Hub on The Loop has been updated with lots of advice and resources to support you in managing your money.
Both Stephen and I have been privileged to get out and see more teams and colleagues across the trust this year. It’s brilliant that people value this and we’ve had a warm welcome wherever we drop in – as well as hearing first-hand about some of the challenges you face and ideas for how we can do things better. We will continue to prioritise these visits as much as possible.
We’ve witnessed so much to be proud of in 2022. This time last year we had just been asked to help the UK achieve a new and incredibly ambitious COVID-19 booster target. NCH&C’s vaccination service played a huge role in Norfolk and Waveney meeting its vaccination target. The hard work of those staff involved was inspiring.
Another highlight for both of us has been welcoming nurses from West Africa to the trust. We are thrilled with how they have settled into their roles and a very new and different environment, and how welcoming the teams they work in have been.
Throughout the year we have recognised and said thank you to staff in a variety of ways. We awarded 64 Badges of Recognition to colleagues across the trust. 242 staff also received Platinum Badges linked to the Platinum Jubilee year and were given a special commemorative badge and a letter from Stephen.
A record 350 nominations were received for our REACH Awards. Each nomination tells a story of amazing staff doing incredible things during difficult times. Each and every one could have been a winner, and judging was really hard.
We also recognised the work of our different services and the contribution they make to the health and care of Norfolk and Waveney at a weeklong exhibition at The Forum.
A summary of some of our 2022 achievements and successes can be found here.
This year saw some significant leadership changes at NCH&C. We were delighted to welcome Stephen to the trust as CEO in January and he has led us through another turbulent year for the NHS with compassion and ambition.
We also said a fond farewell to Geraldine Broderick as her tenure as Chair at NCH&C came to an end. As our Chair, Geraldine delivered unwavering leadership and dedication to our patients in Norfolk.
Looking ahead to 2023 and we are thrilled that Lynda Thomas joins us as our new Chair in February. Lynda brings a wealth of experience and knowledge that will support NCH&C as we deliver our services to Norfolk’s communities as part of the newly formed Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care System.
We will continue to demonstrate the importance and expertise of our teams and the services we provide to the people of Norfolk and Waveney as we launch an extended Virtual Ward, utilising technology to keep people safe and well in their homes. The brand new Priscilla Bacon Hospice will open in the summer, where our dedicated team will continue to provide expert palliative and end-of-life care.
For those who have some time off over the next few weeks, please enjoy it with your family and friends. We wish each of you a happy and safe Christmas and we look forward to seeing you all in 2023.
Graham Nice
Interim Chair of NCH&C
Stephen Collman
CEO of NCH&C