Corporate improvement programme
The progress of the corporate improvement programme was initially slower than the clinical improvement programme, but as the Black Country's financial position became clearer, they have had to accelerate the programme to maximise the opportunities to drive efficiencies in these areas. Some examples of work ongoing are:
- Payroll services: one payroll function is expected to be in place across the system as soon as possible, navigating due processes and confirming a host/ lead provider from within the system, with The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust currently already hosting this service for multiple providers.
- Procurement: all four acute organisations will be joining the major procurement hub at University Hospitals North Midlands NHS Foundation Trust in 2024 and are currently aligning contract dates to ensure a smooth transition.
- Recruitment: they are exploring the possibility of a shared recruitment hub for the system as well as aligning bank staff rates.
Programme leads have been recruited to the non-clinical improvement programme and monthly executive meetings are taking place to share updates on progress.
With this new additional focus on broader operational issues, the provider collaborative has needed to adapt and access different skillsets. This has prompted discussion about the need for all players – the integrated care board and individual providers – to be clear sighted about what challenges can be solved through the provider collaborative and whether it is resourced to deliver against these expectations.