The Liverpool Clinical Services Review, published in January 2023, set out a number of opportunities to deliver improved health outcomes, quality and experience of care, and financial and clinical service sustainability, requiring a different way of working in Liverpool.

Since the publication of the report, progress has been made towards more collaborative working across the system. As the next step in this work, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside have asked the five adult acute and specialist Trusts in Liverpool to establish a joint committee with the purpose of creating sustainable healthcare systems for the future with a clear focus on improving patient care and outcomes.

Recognising the widely acknowledged capacity and demand, workforce and financial challenges that are impacting on the quality, timeliness and effectiveness of patient care, our plans will make it easier to work together for the benefit of patients and our colleagues.

The Chairs and Chief Executives of the five Trusts, outlined below, will sit on the joint committee.

  • Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (LHCH),
  • Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LUHFT),
  • Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust (LWH)
  • The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust (CCC), an
  • The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust (TWC)

This will enable more streamlined decision making and will help to build upon existing collaboration with a specific requirement to collectively manage the financial position across the Trusts, deliver economies of scale and manage vacancy controls.

The focus of the joint committee will be to establish the new governance arrangements, meeting in shadow form (i.e no formal authority) in September 2024 and be in place formally (i.e. with authority to make decisions) by April 2025. Over the coming weeks the detailed delivery plans are being developed.

Shared Board of Directors for Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation  Trust and Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust

In addition, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust are working towards establishing a shared Board of Directors for late Autumn 2024.

This supports Liverpool Women’s Hospital’s long-stated ambition to be aligned to a larger acute Trust to support the management of identified clinical risks.

This follows a period of appointments to joint posts across the two Trusts. Work is underway to develop the detailed plans for establishing the joint Board by late Autumn 2024.

An Executive Managing Director will be appointed to lead Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust, who will sit as a voting member of this joint Board of Directors. This will ensure equity with other sites, retaining Liverpool Women’s Hospital’s identity, and voice and influence at board-level.

The Women’s Hospital Services in Liverpool Programme, commissioned by NHS Cheshire and Merseyside will continue to progress with developing proposals for safe, high-quality maternity and gynaecology services in Liverpool through public consultation and engagement. The new governance arrangements will not impact upon this established programme of work.

These new governance arrangements will not impact on the delivery of services at the respective hospital sites or on this established programme of work.

As more detailed plans are developed for the move towards new governance arrangements, details will be shared with patients, colleagues and all stakeholders.