Results of shared expertise since 2016

City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust and South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust have been working closely together since March 2016, and signed a formal partnership agreement in April 2016.

The shared clinical expertise between the two trusts has led to a number of outcomes. They include: The joint working and streamlining of ‘back office’ functions to develop shared support services for staff has led to improved efficiency. The introduction of a single management team alone, for example, has generated initial savings of more than £500,000.

The trusts have shared learning and standardised policies and practice to improve patient safety and quality of care. A shared ambition to reduce avoidable pressure ulcers by 25% over the next two years has seen new mattresses introduced at South Tyneside District Hospital, as well as saving about £136,000 a year to be reinvested in patient care.

There has been more flexibility in managing pressures across the system, which was recently demonstrated by the recent surge in winter-related emergency admissions and the embedding of the new ‘point of care’ testing for flu, which has improved patient flow in both emergency departments.

Strategic planning has taken place on a bigger scale to help ensure the sustainability of services, including a large-scale recruitment exercise planned for 2018 to help improve workforce capacity. New joint committees structures are now in place across both trusts, and there is a shared vision for the future which is being embedded to develop a shared culture of high quality, safe patient care.