As this is the first article in our new Hampshire Hospitals’ blog, I wanted to take this opportunity to share our focus for the year ahead.

At Hampshire Hospitals, our vision is simple but powerful: to provide outstanding care for every patient. This vision, first set out in our Trust strategy in 2022, continues to guide every decision we make – for our patients today and for those we’ll care for in the future. It remains at the heart of everything we do as we look forward to the next 12 months.

We know that the year ahead will not be without its challenges. The wider financial picture across the NHS remains extremely difficult, and we are feeling that locally too. But while the pressures are real, so is our determination to continue improving patient care, staff experience and how we use our resources.

That’s why we’ve been deliberate in choosing a smaller number of clear priorities for 2025/26. These are focused on where we can make the greatest difference - to the experience of our patients, the wellbeing of our people and the sustainability of our services.

We’ve also stayed committed to our five strategic themes, which guide our work:

  • Providing outstanding care for every patient
  • Making our Trust a great place to work
  • Working together for our population
  • Making the best use of our resources
  • Innovating for a sustainable future

Each of these themes is supported by a set of deliverables that will help us to measure progress and make a real impact.

Providing outstanding care for every patient

This year, we are placing particular focus on urgent and emergency care. We know that too many people are waiting too long; whether that’s for an ambulance, in the emergency department or for a hospital bed. We’re working hard across the whole system to improve that journey, helping people get the right care and return home safely and quickly.

We’re also continuing to tackle waiting times for planned care and cancer treatment. Reducing how long people wait and improving outcomes, is central to our goal of providing outstanding care.

And we have our key quality priorities for the year, one of which relates to maternity care and our ambition to regain our Good rating from the CQC for maternity.

Making our Trust a great place to work

Our people are the heart of Hampshire Hospitals. This year, we are committed to building on the feedback from our NHS Staff Survey to make improvements that really matter. That includes fully embedding the People Promise, strengthening inclusion across the organisation and making our Trust a place where everyone feels valued and supported to do their best work.

Working together for our population

We’ll continue to work closely with partners across the NHS and beyond, especially on key areas like supporting people living with frailty and creating smokefree hospital sites, while empowering our teams to make smokefree choices while at work and beyond.

Making the best use of our resources

We know that how we use our resources: our time, our buildings, our budgets, is critical to how we deliver care. Our Financial Recovery Programme will drive forward improvements in efficiency and productivity, helping us to manage our budgets effectively while keeping patient care at the forefront.

As part of this, we’re looking forward to opening the Hampshire Orthopaedic Centre and a new Orthopaedic Outpatients Department in Winchester; important milestones that will support better outcomes and experiences for patients needing orthopaedic care.

Innovating for a sustainable future

Finally, we’re embracing transformation and innovation to create a more sustainable future. This includes progressing and delivering our Green Plan, reviewing how some of our services are organised in line with the New Hospital Programme, and supporting our staff to deliver change that works for patients.

Looking ahead together

As we set out on another year, I want to thank all our teams for their continued hard work and commitment. I know that the months ahead won’t be easy, but I also know that we are stronger when we work together.

We have a clear plan, a clear purpose and, most importantly, incredible people. I’m excited to see what we can achieve.

 

Alex Whitfield
Chief Executive, Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust