Leadership counts - Chief Executive's blog I've been thinking a lot about leadership lately. We all know leaders - or influencers - who inspire us, motivate us and drive us forward to be the best that we can be. But, in a way, everyone is a leader. It's just a question of degree. We all have areas in our lives where others look to us to lead by example, whether that is in a family context or ... [More]

Compassion at the core Our patient stories are powerful tools in helping us all to focus on what we are all here to do. Whether we are working directly with service users in a clinical setting or supporting that work in corporate functions, our aim is to continually improve the patient experience and the quality of our service. For me, as a nurse, it really is all down to Jane Cummins' 6Cs of Nu... [More]

It’s that time of year when the NHS Staff Survey results are out and I’m pleased to say that we have some areas of improvement and we are also better than the national average in others.  Our staff say that we have improved in areas of training and appraisal, as well as communications, and that they feel better able to do their job to a level they are satisfied with.   Of c... [More]

As a closet chocoholic, I love Easter and the excuse it provides me with for a bit of shameless indulgence....! There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of indulgence now again – provided it’s tempered with a realistic understanding of what the consequences are likely to be. If, for example, your passion is lying in the sun, you need to be well equipped with high intensity sun-cr... [More]

As a clinician, I am really taken with the ‘6 Cs’ as a nursing standard we should all take forward. But while I was on holiday last week I found myself thinking about a seventh ‘C’ which we all take for granted: confidence.  This relates to public confidence in the services we provide, but also to our own personal confidence in our ability to make a difference, to... [More]

I read with interest about the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friends campaign launch recently. Their aim is to have a network of a million dementia friends across England by 2015.  They want to give people an understanding of the small things they can do that can make a difference to people living with dementia – from helping someone find the right bus to spreading the wor... [More]

Many of us were genuinely shocked and distressed by the details of the appalling standards of care highlighted in the Francis Report. And sometimes it’s good to have a shock like that – because it reminds us of the fundamentals that we often take for granted. Such as the fact that patients are individuals, with a right to expect that they are treated with respect and dignity. It made ... [More]

As many of you know, I’m a passionate and devoted golfer, so I can’t wait for better weather, longer days and early weekend tee times as we head towards Spring. For me, golf is the almost perfect way to keep fit. It means I get to spend plenty of time in the fresh air, which is a bonus for anyone who is predominantly office-bound. But it also gives me a chance to clear my head and rest... [More]

I have to start by saying that what I’m about to write isn’t entirely original, as it has been inspired by a piece I read on the Guardian website recently. I just thought the idea was such a good one that I had to replicate it in my own small way. The point of the piece was that, though many worthy people have been honoured with CBEs and OBEs by the Queen in the New Year, their achiev... [More]

Christmas and the New Year are a time for reflection and our staff can look back over 2012 with great pride. Though I have only been in post a month, I have already come across some fantastic examples of care, compassion and engagement.   We are leading the way in the North West in terms of providing harm-free care and are actively advising other Trusts about our successes in preventing... [More]