The Trust’s Board
Meeting takes place every month with members of the public welcome to attend.
But what do the people of Leeds really know about what happens around the
table? Three members of staff, who attended their first Board meeting in July,
share their experiences.
“I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, and to be really honest, I thought it might be a little dull! I imagined there would be a
focus on the money we need to save as an organisation, and that I wouldn't understand
a lot of the discussion, but it wasn't, and I did. It was interesting,
informative and reassuring.
The meeting was far from dull because it was about
people and the work that we are all doing in the trust. There were familiar
things being discussed, like recruitment and retention, capacity and demand,
nurse revalidation, pressure in the neighbourhood teams and the impact on us of
increased admissions to Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust. The overriding priority
however, was how we best support our greatest asset- our staff, in service of
the patients we serve.
Being an observer is always interesting, and of
particular note was the dynamic between the people around the table. There was
seriousness and laughter. The challenge from the Non-Executive Directors for
the Senior Management Team was reassuring in terms of being held to account.
The challenge was received, not in a defensive way, but as a platform to
clarify, share actions and learning, and determine where further work may be
required.
I left the meeting with a sense of hope that the
focus is on the right thing- ‘our people’, and that we have a real opportunity
together to create the culture we all aspire to be part of. I would highly
recommend any one to attend and observe.”
Lisa Falkingham
Service Improvement
Team
“I
have been to a number of Board meetings outside Leeds Community Healthcare and
they are more like a ‘talk shop’ where actually nothing gets agreed or decided.
Was this Board meeting going to be different? I went with an open mind!
In
return, I found the LCH Board meeting captivating, as they were discussing
topical issues which are being experienced by front line staff, and the
knowledge round the table was fantastic. It made me understand the wider context
of health and social care within Leeds, including the pressures of recruitment,
retention and training, all whilst continuing to provide the highest possible
quality of care. I found it very inspiring to watch the Board, including Non-Execs,
discuss a range of issues with passion and energy in a very challenging economic
environment. My respect for each one of them was raised a notch, and
actually felt lucky to be living and working in Leeds.”
Arifa Chakera
Programme Management
Office
“I
found the Board meeting interesting and informative, and came away with the
impression that our board are a good mix of people. The Non-Executive Directors
positively challenge our Directors on many aspects, who in turn are happy to
provide more narrative on each topic. I would recommend people to go
along to the Public Board meeting as we so often get stuck in our own
individual silos of work we miss the bigger picture.”
Linda Dobrzanska
Research Team
Minutes for the Board Meeting can be found on LCH's website here.
