The Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has outlined its quality improvement plans at a recent Health in Hackney Scrutiny Commission meeting. The plans aim to improve patient safety, clinical effectiveness, and patient experience, aligning with the trust's strategic objectives detailed in its 'Our Future Together' strategy.
The trust's priorities include promoting prevention, addressing health inequalities, delivering equitable care, developing staff, strengthening partnerships, securing future investment, and fostering innovation. These ambitions are vital to improving the health and life chances of the people of City and Hackney.
The Health in Hackney Scrutiny Commission considered the Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Quality Account Report for the 2024/25 financial year, a report NHS trusts are required to produce annually, describing past and future activities to improve the quality of their services. The report covers patient safety, clinical effectiveness, and patient experience.
The report includes statements of assurance from the board, covering service reviews, national and local clinical audit participation, clinical research participation, goals agreed with commissioners, and feedback from others about the Homerton. Data on core indicators such as the Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator (SHMI) and patient safety indicators are also included.
St Joseph's Hospice also presented its annual Quality Account for 2024-25. The report highlights the hospice's work in specialist palliative and end-of-life care. The report notes that just over half of the hospice's funding comes from its NHS block contract, with the rest coming from charitable legacies, donations, and other local fundraising. The report also highlights the hospice's delivery on last year's priorities, including transforming its respite service into a re-enablement and rehabilitation service, improving support for carers, achieving National Advice Quality Standard (AQS) accreditation for its welfare benefits service, and achieving Compassionate Employers status.
The Health in Hackney Scrutiny Commission also discussed substance use support in Hackney, noting increased investment in responses to harmful drug and alcohol use since 2021. The Combatting Drugs Partnership (CDP) has provided strategic and operational direction across substance use workstreams since 2022. The report provides an overview of the current system, including the Hackney Recovery service and additional delivery partners. While treatment access has improved, areas for improvement include increasing access, addressing disparities, improving treatment outcomes, and addressing unmet mental health needs.