A blog from Chief Executive, Professor Jann Gardner
When I started in my role as Chief Executive this year, I wanted to seize the opportunity to make this a fresh, new chapter for NHSGGC. As part of this, I have been working closely with colleagues from across NHSGGC to co-design an ambitious plan which delivers the meaningful and sustainable change our patients, staff, and system need.
Our Transforming Together programme represents a three-year period of progress and improvement to transform our services at scale and pace. Together, we are working towards a high-performing health and social care system that meets the evolving demands and needs of our population.
As part of this exciting programme, I am delighted to announce the launch of the Interface Division. This new team will roll out new technologies and pathways to move more care into the community across the whole of NHSGGC and reduce pressure on our often-overstretched hospital teams and services.
So, what does the Interface Division do, what are the new services and technologies in the pipeline, and what does this mean for us as staff at NHSGGC?
What is the role of the new Interface Division?
The Interface Division is tasked with developing and implementing new services such as the Virtual Hospital and Flow Navigation Centre Plus (FNC+Plus).
The Interface team’s aim is to drive transformation, innovation, and improvement across the Board from acute sites to primary and community care. Through collaboration, communication, and new technologies, the team will be key in improving care for patients and experience for staff.
What are the new services being rolled out by the Interface Division?
Virtual Hospital
We are introducing an ambitious new Virtual Hospital delivering clinical support and treatments from the comfort of a patient’s home. The Virtual Hospital will enable patients to stay at home, get home earlier, or avoid hospital admission by managing their own condition with support through remote monitoring.
If patients are admitted to our Virtual Hospital, they will be treated like any other patient in the hospital. They’ll be under the care of a clinician, and will receive the care and monitoring they need, but in the comfort of their own home.
The Virtual Hospital will contain many specialist virtual wards ranging from patients being remotely monitored while waiting on diagnostic tests to patients receiving specialist care and treatment at home.
The Interface Division aims to reach 1,000 beds in the Virtual Hospital by July 2026, relieving pressure on existing healthcare sites and supporting long-term condition management.
Flow Navigation Centre Plus (FNC+Plus)
Our plan will see us expand our Flow Navigation Centre service to navigate people to the best place for their care – connecting patients to services, with more patients being seen virtually within their own home or in a local community setting, often avoiding the need to attend an Emergency Department.
The FNC+Plus is an enhanced version of the Flow Navigation Centre, offering additional clinical capabilities and support for managing our patient through our health and care system, all powered by technology and innovation.
It is effectively the ‘central spine’ to manage a sustainable, consistent health and care through our whole system.
You can expect clinical, professional and administration specialists working within the dedicated FNC+Plus contact centre to act as a true command and control, supporting services by directly providing virtual care and ensuring patients move more easily and quickly to the best point of care.
What do the Interface Division’s projects mean for us as NHSGGC staff?
We all know the pressures and challenges that come with working in a healthcare environment. These new initiatives and technologies will give you the tools you need to make informed decisions quickly and to relieve pressure on services, making all our working lives better.
For staff, Interface services will improve collaboration and streamline processes, aiming to make work more manageable and improve our working lives.
Our plan will support our teams to work more effectively together across primary, secondary, and community care, to improve the quality of patient experience, the safety and outcomes of services, and overall staff experience.
We will be sharing regular updates on the Interface Division’s progress and ambitious projects in our new Interface Division hub on Staffnet.
Remember – the Transforming Together agenda is only as successful as we make it, and depends on our fantastic staff to make the vision a reality. Here’s to an exciting new chapter for NHSGGC and our new Interface Division!