Working in partnership

We are committed to working more closely with other organisations to deliver more joined-up care, because:

  • we recognise and welcome the emphasis which our commissioners in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin put on the need for partnership and integrated care, especially for unscheduled care
  • better co-ordinated care between agencies means better patient experience and better use of resources in the local system
  • like our partners, including the voluntary sector, we believe partnership maximises the chance of responding to the growing needs of the increasing edlerly population
  • integrated pathways help make services clearer for patients and professionals - whereas multiple varied services can be hard to navigate

Some of our partners and partnership work in progress

Strategic Relationship with The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust

  • Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust and The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust have pledged to work together in a new way, aimed at joined-up care for patients. For more information, please download the first in a special newsletter about the Partnership

Shropshire County and Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups

  • Our strategy is to make the best possible contribution to commissioners' pan-Shropshire Unscheduled Care Strategy, led by Dr Bill Gowens, including community nursing and therapy teams as part of integrated pathways to avoid acute admissions.
  • The Trust worked closely with commissioners in the 'Winter 9' project to manage demand in the winter and made permanent improvements at community hospitals, including faster discharges
  • The Trust is keen to work in partnership towards the range of commissioning strategies

Shropshire Council and Telford and Wrekin Council

  • Certain services are provided through combined Community Trust and Council teams, e.g. for disabled children, in intermediate care and for substance misuse.

GPs

  • The Trust is currently working with a local GP practice and lead GP to pilot a model of care to determine whether it is feasible to have a Primary Care Based Falls service. This is currently being tested at Oakengates Medical practice and Telford & Wrekin Social Services has also allocated staff for this project. At the end of the project, the results will be analysed and recommendations put forward for the future of the pilot.

Voluntary and Patient Groups

  • The Trust is forming a Patient Experience Group and aims to work in partnership with patients to get their feedback and help improve services
  • Voluntary and patient group representatives attend our Quality and Safety Committee, helped with our Quality Account and are part of our Foundation Trust Stakeholder Group.