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Summary of Trust Board - July 2026

At the start of the Trust Board meeting, there was a focus on how digital innovation and technology can improve patient care, staff productivity and service quality. The key presentation was delivered by Victoria Annis, Head of Patient Safety and Quality, alongside Kerry Greaves, Operational Lead for the Kingfisher Neighbourhood Team, who showcased a new digital wound care app.

The wound care app pilot is already improving patient safety, wound healing monitoring, documentation quality and staff productivity, with strong positive feedback from patients, carers and clinicians. Patients are more engaged in their care through visual tracking of wound healing, while carers are better able to understand progress and support recovery. 

Updates provided

  • The Trust is preparing to expand digital priorities including Rio optimisation, the Shared Care Record and the Patient Engagement Portal.
  • A national funding bid has been submitted to help scale digital innovations, including the wound care technology. 
  • Work continues to redesign community hospitals and develop mental health rehabilitation services.
  • Most staff affected by the closure of Osborne Court and Churchview adult respite services have successfully secured alternative roles within the Trust or wider NHS.
  • Neighbourhood Health developments are progressing across both Herefordshire and Worcestershire, with increasing partnership working across the wider health system.
  • A new patient experience approach has identified five key themes from patient feedback: communication, access and waiting times, coordination of care, compassion and respect, and accessibility of information. 

Positive news and assurances

  • The Trust received national recognition for improvements in staff experience.
  • Staff engagement remains strong, with over 1,000 colleagues contributing to the operational restructure programme.
  • Volunteers, community partners and people with lived experience continue to play an important role in shaping services and transformation work.
  • There have been no out-of-area mental health placements since November, demonstrating sustained improvement.
  • Financial performance is currently on plan, with expenditure and efficiency programmes performing as expected.
  • Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response compliance improved to 93.1%, receiving a substantial assurance rating. 

Matters of concern

  • Long waiting times within children’s and neurodiversity services continue to remain a significant organisational challenge. However, recovery plans are in place for children's services, community paediatrics, neurodiversity pathways and talking therapies.
  • Capacity limitations within digital and transformation teams are reducing the pace at which priority programmes can be delivered.
  • Data reporting issues following the implementation of Rio are affecting some performance reporting, although patient records remain complete and safe.
  • Workforce, children’s waiting times, digital and cyber security, estates, and transformation capacity remain key strategic risks.
  • Board members highlighted the need to accelerate decision-making processes so that proven innovations can be implemented more quickly. 

Decisions made

  • The Board approved the refreshed Risk Management Strategy. #
  • The Board approved the Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response annual assurance statement.
  • Approval was given for the lease renewal of 29–30 Commercial Road, Hereford.
  • The appointment of Dr Chandran Fever Chelvie as Consultant within the Mental Health Liaison Team was formally approved.
  • The Board endorsed the continued prioritisation of Rio optimisation, patient engagement technology and digital transformation programmes.