ShropCom and SaTH are exploring opportunities to become a Group These plans are currently in the early stages of development and we still need to go through an assurance process with NHS England before any final decisions are made.
Through this newsletter will share interviews with colleagues exploring the opportunities that forming a Group may bring It will also help build an understanding of each organisation and the work that colleagues do - which is something you said you would like more of
An interview with your Chief People Officer
I have had a wonderful time meeting colleagues across the county at the Better Together sessions It’s so exciting to have over 10,000 voices contributing For someone with a profession in ‘everything human’, it is incredibly important to me, and I can only describe it as a tonic My biggest takeaway so far has been a real desire to strengthen teamwork
Our Culture Dashboard has shown small increases in teamwork, and I believe together we can strengthen this further using our shared values, beliefs, and behaviours If we get this right, we will create a positive environment where individuals feel valued, supported, and empowered to work together effectively
For the last year I have been working as Chief People Officer across both organisations I have learnt that we have a lot in common; amazing colleagues who I personally value and respect; improvements; and examples of outstanding care
We also share challenges in recruitment, growing and retaining colleagues and supporting staff health and wellbeing - all while working to reduce agency spend and increase flow between services
In order to move forward, we are bringing together all people management activities and work to ensure we are aligned, coordinated, and focused on delivering the current and future priorities of both trusts, alongside our commitment to our people
Rhia Boyode
Joint People Strategy
This will be delivered by our first and new joint People Strategy We have over 10,000 incredible people who I wish to engage with on developing this.
We will be rolling out staff sessions to understand and agree our current context, which as we know post COVID-19 has become more complex and challenging, on top of the fast-moving external context and a challenging financial and economic background These sessions will help build two sustainable and resilient organisations for the future – with a new Joint People Strategy that incorporates culture, workforce transformation through the Hospitals Transformation Programme/neighbourhood and an integrated workforce plan
It is essential that we are all well positioned to successfully navigate this new operational context and prepare for the future so I do hope we can work collaboratively on this so we can deliver the very best health outcomes for all
Finally, if you would like to support and champion the Better Together work, please let us know We will ensure you receive support and materials so that you can help us on this journey
How you can get involved
Staff engagement sessions
Thank you to everyone who has joined us for the Better Together staff briefings It has been fantastic to get your ideas and thoughts about how we move forward in our work developing a potential Group model We cannot do this alone – we need your support
We have more staff briefings in the coming weeks and these are listed on the intranet. These sessions are an opportunity for you to ask our Executive Team questions and also take part in group discussions on:
The benefits of forming a Group
Any issues or risks that you think we need to consider What success looks like
How we keep you informed and involved
Take part in our survey
Please take a few minutes to share your ideas in our short survey to help inform our Case for Change The survey will close at 5pm on Monday 30 June 2025
What is a Group Model and what would
it mean for us?
Watch our short animation
