To help prevent the spread of winter viruses such as Covid-19, influenza and norovirus (winter vomiting bug), and to protect our patients and staff, please do not visit patients in our hospitals if you have: flu-like symptoms (cough, fever, cold); Covid-19 or influenza, or any other infections; diarrhoea and/or vomiting within the last two days.

News Centre

Newsroom

First for our patients, staff and the future – launch of our five-year strategy

A new five-year strategy – First for our patients, staff and the future – has been launched by our Trust, which provides acute hospital and community services across the west of Suffolk.

Powered by our updated FIRST Trust values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and teamwork, the new strategy has three equal ambitions:

• First for patients
• First for staff
• First for the future.

It clearly sets out these future ambitions and how we are going to achieve them in order to meet our vision to deliver the best quality and safest care for the local community.

Interim chief executive Craig Black said: “Built on the foundations of the previous strategy, First for our patients, staff and the future sets the direction of the organisation over the next five years.

“There is no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the landscape of how we work and what we need to do to recover and repair many of our services affected by it. While we continue to navigate the challenges of the pandemic and deal with additional issues and pressures we have faced over the last two years, I am optimistic about the opportunities ahead. This new chapter enables us to reset; build a fair, open and listening culture; transform the care we provide; and plan for the much needed new and modern healthcare facility for the people of west Suffolk.

Interim chair Jude Chin said: “Staff at the Trust work tirelessly, providing fantastic care for patients across west Suffolk through a range of services. The last two years have been very difficult for staff but with the new strategy now in place, we can look to the future and work together to provide the best possible care for patients. We are grateful to the broad range of people who helped shape this strategy, both in the Trust and more widely.”

To launch the new strategy, we've created a short animation which summarises the strategy, its future direction and how it will get there.

Please read the full strategy here.

Please watch the short animation below.

Back to Newsroom