Norfolk Provider Partnership launched

Norfolk’s hospitals and community health services have formally agreed to work more closely together to help improve and develop key clinical services for patients.

The new alliance, called the Norfolk Provider Partnership (NPP), is between Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust and Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust.

Each organisation’s Board has agreed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore working together to improve the quality of clinical services and to develop longer-term plans to help ensure the sustainability of local services.

Commenting on the MoU in a joint statement, the Trusts’ CEOs said:

“We face some difficult challenges as providers of healthcare in Norfolk including the relentless rise in demand for our services, and the recruitment of skilled staff. Our organisations already work together, but we think we can benefit patients even further from a more joined-up approach to treatment and care, and the NPP will be working together to agree the best ways to provide services for our patients in the future.

“By working more closely together through the Norfolk Provider Partnership we plan to both secure and develop specialist local care for patients to avoid the need for travelling outside Norfolk, to look at providing better support for patients in their own homes preventing unnecessary and often inconvenient hospital stays, and to share good practice more consistently.

“The Norfolk Provider Partnership will be working with commissioners, other NHS organisations and Norfolk County Council Social Services to design a new system of healthcare that is strengthened, improved and more integrated for the benefit our patients. A comprehensive plan for Norfolk will be developed by the Summer of 2017.”

Pictured from left to right are: Roisin Fallon-Williams, chief executive Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust; Mark Davies, chief executive Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Dorothy Hosein, chief executive Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust; and Christine Allen chief executive James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.