Dear Member, 

Welcome to the December edition of your monthly Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT) Members' update, keeping you up to speed with all the latest news, information and announcements from across our hospitals and in the community.

From everyone here at Hampshire Hospitals, we would like to take this opportunity to wish you, your families and your loved ones a very Happy New Year!

Hear the latest 'In Touch' update from chief executive, Alex Whitfield, by clicking here.

If you would like to ask Alex a question ahead of next month's session, please contact [email protected]. 

	The NHS in Hampshire has launched a consultation on how between £700 million and £900 million would best be invested in hospital services across the county. Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s inclusion in the Government’s national New Hospital Programme gives us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve our hospital facilities and hospital services for decades to come, helping to transform the care and treatment patients receive. The consultation runs from 11 December 2023 for 14 weeks until midnight 17 March 2024, with members of the public able to share their views here.
	With our hospitals remaining incredibly busy providing urgent and emergency care to a high volume of patients, we are asking for the support of our local community this winter and we’d like to remind people to use the right service to get the care and advice you need. If you have a medical problem and you are not sure what to do, visit NHS 111 online. As ever, your NHS is always here for you and for a life-threatening emergency or if you require urgent care, please call 999.
	The British Medical Association (BMA) have announced a further period of industrial action for junior doctors in January 2024, following strikes in December. BMA junior doctors will be taking industrial action between 7am on Wednesday 3 January to 7am on Tuesday 9 January. As ever, we are planning extensively to minimise the impact on our services across these periods to continue to provide the best possible care to all who need us, however some disruption is unfortunately unavoidable. Further information is available here.
	A Hampshire Hospitals staff member has been honoured in a national awards ceremony that recognises the work of inspirational individuals and innovative organisations. Nicola Flecknell, a deputy sister working within acute paediatric services, was selected from over 34,000 WOW! Awards nomination entries, taking home the ‘Inspirational Individual Award’ at a spectacular WOW! Awards ceremony hosted in November. Read the full story here.
	The HHFT People Awards will return in June 2024, with nominations due to launch in January 2024! Keep your eyes peeled for further information about the HHFT People Awards and how you can nominate a member of our Team HHFT once nominations open next month!

Following the launch of a public consultation by the NHS in Hampshire about how between £700 million and £900 million should be invested in hospital services to transform healthcare for communities across the county, patients, local people, partners, and NHS staff are now being encouraged to get involved and give their views on the proposals.

With these proposals we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve hospital facilities and hospital services across Hampshire for decades to come. 

The proposals we are now consulting on have been designed by clinicians, with patients and the public, and are based on clinical evidence and best practice. At their heart is the need to deliver safe, sustainable, high-quality services for the future, with sufficient specialist staff to run services well. 

The consultation document, which provides more detail on the proposals, is now available at www.hampshiretogether.nhs.uk.

There are lots of ways people can get involved and have their say, including by attending online and in person listening events, or by completing a questionnaire. Details of events to be held in early 2024 will be available here.

The consultation is open until midnight on Sunday 17 March 2024. Please do take this opportunity to get involved and help shape our proposals.

Members of Hampshire Hospitals are invited to attend the trust's next Board of Directors public meeting, taking place virtually on Thursday 25 January 2024 (10:00-13:00).

These meetings provide an opportunity to hear more about the latest trust updates, including discussions of new policies that may be implemented. If you would like to attend, please email [email protected] to obtain a meeting link.

For more on the latest news, stories and events from Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, please visit our website or connect with us on social media.  

Are your details correct? If you would like to update your email address or contact information, please contact us at [email protected].