Season 4 I Episode 1: Catch up with the Chief

As we approach a new season on our podcast channel, we speak to the Chief Executive of the Southern Trust, Dr Maria O'Kane.
Dr O'Kane explains some of the key issues that have just been discussed at our monthly Trust Board meeting.

Transcript

00:00:05:08 - 00:00:13:22
Speaker 1
Hello and welcome to Trust TV. I'm delighted to be joined today by our chief executive, Dr. Maria O'Kane. Maria, you're very welcome.

00:00:14:11 - 00:00:14:26
Speaker 2
Thank you.

00:00:16:00 - 00:00:29:16
Speaker 1
So we've just had our monthly trust board meeting where you presented an update on key issues and developments in the trust. And you particularly highlighted, Maria, SAFEtember . Why is this so important for you?

00:00:31:01 - 00:00:57:07
Speaker 2
So safety has always been a priority throughout our organisation. And we have many examples of award winning products. As we know, the annual September event as an international champion, which we know helps raise awareness, safety and health and social care. I'm delighted that we've been part of that this year. We had a wide range of experts on board to share learning, and we used a different theme each week.

00:00:57:15 - 00:01:28:01
Speaker 2
And particularly we were interested and drawing awareness, the psychological safety of staff. We will soon be launching our new safety strategy, which will build on the great work already in place, but will hopefully allow even greater support for our staff whenever they're thinking about safety on how to improve safety We know that we have a lot of challenges on health at the current time, but we also know that we have a responsibility to provide the best care that we can.

00:01:28:18 - 00:01:37:26
Speaker 2
My aim is that we continue to create a culture where we are safe, trained, and excellent towards people we look after and towards each other.

00:01:39:09 - 00:01:51:26
Speaker 1
And also at the meeting where we launched our intention to dementia services public consultation. So how are we aiming to improve services for these very vulnerable patients?

00:01:53:09 - 00:02:26:19
Speaker 2
Well, I think in recent times we have been increasingly made aware through media and other experiences of the vulnerability of older people, and particularly when they have dementia, particularly for those frail who can't represent themselves particularly well. So this model is particularly important. What we want to see is the creation of a specialist and patient with dementia and within the Bluestone Mental Health Unit where we have the Expertize and we know that it's on the Craigavon area site and will provide for the whole of the Southern Trust.

00:02:28:03 - 00:03:07:26
Speaker 2
As you know, we had a standalone inpatient dementia unit and guess and since in May that year, the patients were relocated to one sport and it's also within Bluestone as an interim contingency arrangement to ensure patient safety and continuity of care and to ensure that we were providing for our patients in the best available environments was secured and dedicated consultants, psychiatric and psychiatric nursing care We've had significant local and regional pressures and trying to recruit a consultant psychiatrist, particularly in old age psychiatry.

00:03:08:18 - 00:03:35:08
Speaker 2
So this is what's driving the review and particularly to help us reach a point where we can understand throughout the course of the results of the consultation, what really good care could look like and how we can use the expertize of our staff to best advantage to provide safe and effective care. And also to think about how we provide a sustainable service that will be there for many years to come.

00:03:36:22 - 00:04:23:18
Speaker 2
We know that by 20, 32, the Southern Trusts will have the highest number of individuals in any area registered with dementia over the age of 65. I mean, that's a fairly staggering statistic and we need to make these changes know, to make sure that those of us who will need the service in the future and I think myself a lot will have services like this available, providing the best possible care that we possibly can The importance of creating a specialist inpatient dementia unit, co-located with mental health and just some of the inpatient services as if we can bring the Expertize of mental health and all the different disciplines and user experience involved in that and concentrate

00:04:23:18 - 00:04:49:27
Speaker 2
It's an excellent center on one site. But knowing that, you know, some of those staff in particular will work out across the community and try that expertize learning through Southern Trust. So we really welcome the public's views on these proposals as we want to make these changes work, you know, as soon as possible. So that we have we have a really excellent sustainable service over the next number of years.

00:04:50:15 - 00:05:03:14
Speaker 2
So the consultation as we know it opens on the 3rd of October and closes on the 23rd of December 20, 22. And the consultation documents are available night on the Trust's website.

00:05:04:11 - 00:05:26:12
Speaker 1
So we really are encouraging people to to get in touch with us and tell us their views on these proposals. Now, also at the meeting you highlighted the ongoing budget pressures and uncertainty and demand obviously continues to outstrip our resources. And of course we're all worried at the moment about cost of living increases be it fuel or energy.

00:05:26:22 - 00:05:29:16
Speaker 1
How is this all impacting on our services?

00:05:30:26 - 00:06:01:16
Speaker 2
So I think we all know about the worries we have about the economy currently and we know the pressures of being brought to bear on that. In relation to the impact of the war on Ukraine, and other factors that have driven up inflation on major energy and food and particular exports, as a result of that, as a result of the below inflation pay increases that there have been in recent years.

00:06:02:19 - 00:06:32:10
Speaker 2
And aside from other pay pressures we know that the Department of Health has announced that there's a range of £400 million deficit regionally in the coming financial year in relation to health We know that that's realized in our own budget because it's significant increases, for example, in the cost of energy And we also know that alongside all of that there will be at least £80 million needed to tackle the huge willingness.

00:06:32:10 - 00:06:58:06
Speaker 2
We have some of the worst witness in the world in relation to health. And there has never been a more urgent time to try and solve all of this But the Health Minister said that it's as more of us not found, he might have to scrap the pay supplement, freeze recruitment and stop some kind of activity. And certainly that's a very bleak picture for us to be thinking about.

00:06:58:17 - 00:07:21:04
Speaker 2
And that's extremely worrying, I think in the context of all of the other issues that people are having to deal with at the minute in relation to their own personal finance and the cost of living currently. And I suppose we're particularly worried because we know that particularly for people who live in social deprivation or are low income, these are really huge challenges.

00:07:21:24 - 00:07:50:17
Speaker 2
And we also know that they're linked to health. And we are concerned about the impact of all of this on our service users and our own health as a result of a lot of these very bleak financial demands. So I know that despite all of that, we have a very robust and optimistic workforce. You know, I've watched them silence the people through COVID and how much energy and optimism they've brought to all of that.

00:07:50:28 - 00:07:59:12
Speaker 2
And I know that despite the challenges we will still continue to do our best and still strive to provide safe contacts with care every day.

00:08:00:19 - 00:08:03:07
Speaker 1
Dr. Maria O'Kane, thank you very much.

00:08:03:25 - 00:08:04:15
Speaker 2
Thank you. It's.