Posted on: 25 January 2024
Hello, my name is Pam
As well as working for the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, I am a strategic advisor to Asian Professionals National Alliance (APNA) NHS network. I have been an active member of the APNA (Our) NHS network since June 2020, and have played a pivotal role in its growth. APNA is a network for South Asians working across the NHS; it has three main objectives:
- To influence policy to eliminate inequalities and deliver parity of outcomes for South Asian communities, patients, and staff
- To actively work in partnership with decision makers to develop understanding and tackle racism and discrimination throughout all functions of the NHS
- To create awareness of and celebrate cultural heritage and diversity of lived experiences of South Asian communities to drive positive equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) practices.
In the short life span (since May 2020) of the network, here are some of its key achievements:
Publication of a Covid-19 toolkit in varied South Asian languages.
Delivered two hugely successful national conferences, including two days of workshops, inspirational speakers, learning and networking; Sir Julian Hartley (Chief Executive of NHS Providers) and Chris Hopson (NHSE Chief Strategy Officer) are amongst esteemed supporters of APNA. The conference culminated with an awards ceremony on the final evening. Proud to say WY ICB and its representatives were nominated for the following awards:
- Trust/ ICB of the year in promoting EDI – WY ICB (won)
- APNA NHS Superstar – Pam Bhupal (won)
- EDI Champion – Fatima Khan- Shah (nominee)
- Coaching and Mentoring Champion – Rob Webster (nominee)
Delivered an NHS 75 anniversary celebration event at the House of Commons to celebrate South Asian Pioneers in the NHS, hosted by Preet Kaur Gill, Shadow MP for Primary Care and Public Health. The network was formally constituted at the AGM 2022, with active satellite regional networks set up for the north, midlands and south of England.
Over the last three years, APNA NHS are proud to have supported over 42 members to secure executive and non-executive director roles, and many others have progressed in their careers through APNA coaching and mentoring.
Thank you for reading, Pam
Hello, my name is Mahmud
In September 2023 I had the honour of being invited to be part of a panel discussion – Bravery in the Boardroom – at the APNA NHS conference. I’ve been a member of APNA for a little while now. It has a very active WhatsApp group which allows people to share what’s going on, seek expertise and understand what other Trusts are doing – I find it invaluable for understanding issues across all Trusts and networking with others on common issues.
I have to say it was an amazing couple of days for me. I met in person so many people that I knew by name or online. South Asian role models like Dr Habib Naqvi, CEO of the NHS Race and Health Observatory and Dr Chaand Nagpaul, former BMA Chair. Fellow West Yorkshire stalwarts like Pam Bhupal and Dr Mo Sattar. And of course, my Bravery In The Boardroom panellists, Dr Farah Jameel and Bimal Patel.
I came away really invigorated about both the amazing speakers and content at this conference (which had a real thread of tackling health inequalities running through it), but also the real sense of belonging I felt which at the event. A huge thank you to all the organisers, especially from a West Yorkshire perspective to Pam who did so much of the organising in her spare time, and to Mo who was the day 2 host for the Conference.
I would encourage everyone of a South Asian background across West Yorkshire ICS to join APNA, take advantage of the amazing networking opportunity regardless of position within the NHS.
If you would like to join as a member or ally, you can do through the following methods:
- Whatsapp group
- Twitter: @APNANHS
- Email: apnanhsevents
@gmail.com - LinkedIn: APNA NHS
- NHS Futures page: APNA NHS
Thank you for reading, Mahmud
This week’s blog comes from Haris Sultan, non-executive development placement within the Integrated Care Board
After 20 months of serving as the NeXt Director for Citizens and Future Generations on the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, my time in this role is drawing to a close. It seems like just yesterday that I stepped into this position. Being my inaugural NHS Board role, I entered with uncertainty about what lay ahead. However, the gracious and inviting atmosphere of my colleagues, coupled with their unwavering dedication to delivering the best for patients and their families, epitomises what I would call the "West Yorkshire Way." As I prepare to depart, I wanted to share my key reflections and learnings from these transformative 20 months.
From the early stages of my journey, I grasped a fundamental lesson that underscores the profound nature of an integrated care system (ICS), transcending mere NHS restructuring. Initial perceptions, likening it to just another version of a clinical commissioning group (CCG) with an additional board, were swiftly dispelled through hands-on experience. An effective ICS, far from conforming to stereotypes, emerges as a symbol of genuine collaboration. It goes beyond the realms of secondary and primary care, actively involving the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, the community, and notably, the served population. The key to an ICS's success lies in the harmonious collaboration and synergy among these diverse entities. What sets the West Yorkshire integrated care board (ICB) apart is its proficiency in strategic alignment, ensuring optimal placement of each component for maximum collective impact. This strategic positioning allows for the synchronisation of resources, expertise, and services, creating a well-coordinated system that adeptly responds to the dynamic needs of the population. The ICB not only recognises the significance of having everyone in the right place but actively pursues the optimisation of resources, talents, and initiatives. As I bid farewell, I'm left with a profound appreciation for the transformative nature of the ICS and the strategic brilliance of the ICB in orchestrating a collaborative and impactful healthcare system.
Another significant insight I gained pertains to the expansive realm of population health, an area where integrated care partnerships wield substantial influence, and West Yorkshire has been exemplary in this regard. Throughout my tenure on the ICB, my collaboration with the Directors of Population Health and the Improving Population Health Programme has been immensely rewarding. Valuable lessons have been gleaned, including the vital role of the suicide prevention champion campaign in addressing suicide prevention, the importance of community engagement in mitigating health inequalities, and the profound impact of the cost of living on people’s ability to attend hospital appointments or afford prescriptions. Moreover, delving into the intricacies of population health has underscored the interconnectedness of social determinants and health outcomes. It has illuminated the significance of upstream interventions, focusing on preventive measures rather than reactive healthcare. This holistic understanding of health dynamics has reshaped my perspective on the role of integrated care in not only treating illnesses but also proactively promoting the well-being of the entire population.
An additional valuable lesson has been the power of community engagement and open dialogue in uncovering issues and generating innovative solutions. Within the ICB, we have instituted a dedicated citizen engagement session preceding each board meeting, fostering conversations with both professionals and citizens to identify and explore pertinent issues. One memorable instance was our in-depth exploration of challenges faced by children and young people, where firsthand stories illuminated instances where the system fell short, particularly in neurodiversity waiting times. However, through collaborative efforts, decision-makers came together, leading to the inception of the West Yorkshire Neurodiversity Summit. Noteworthy site visits have also been an enriching aspect of my experience, with a personal highlight being a visit to a community centre in Wakefield. Engaging in discussions in the back rooms with the staff, I gained insights into the remarkable initiatives aimed at keeping young people with mental health challenges away from medical settings. The emphasis on destigmatising mental health and collaborating with individuals and their support networks was particularly inspiring, showcasing the impactful work happening at the grassroots level to address mental health concerns.
The culminating factor that rendered my placement truly remarkable was the incredible individuals—be it the executives, non-executives, partner members, or staff. Among the many notable figures, I had the pleasure of collaborating with some outstanding professionals. Within my Future Generations role, I had the privilege of working alongside Sarah Smith, the Associate Director of the Improving Population Health Programme, ensuring alignment of population health risks with our risk register. Frank Swinton, Climate Change Lead, and I collaborated on positioning ourselves as leaders in addressing climate change—an area of significant importance to the board. Partnering with Kate Simms, the Chief People Officer, proved fruitful as we focused on enhancing future workforce dynamics, emphasising job spec equality, and eliminating the English and Maths grade C requirement for 999 and 111 call handlers. The collaborative efforts with Sayma Mirza, the Associate Director of the Children, Young People and Families programme, centred on placing children and young people at the heart of our initiatives. Rob Webster's exemplary leadership demonstrated the essence of compassion in leadership and provided invaluable insights into organisational management—lessons I aim to carry throughout my career. Lastly, my mentor and boss, Cathy Elliott, the ICB Chair, guided me meticulously, enabling me to pose insightful board questions, voice my opinions, and evolve into the professional I am today. While these are just a few of the remarkable people I've had the privilege of working with, it's the collective efforts of such individuals that define the essence of our organisation.
I attribute the essence of this role to what I affectionately term the "West Yorkshire Way." It encapsulates the spirit of the people, the spirit of collaboration, our approach to challenges, and our collective effort to tackle and overcome them. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone I've had the privilege to engage with, collaborate with, and visit during these transformative 20 months. Your contributions have rendered this period unforgettable for me. Although I bid farewell to the role, I'll be observing the remarkable work unfolding from a distance.
Signing off for the final time, Haris
What else has been happening this week?
Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice rated ‘outstanding’
by the CQC
Huddersfield-based Forget Me Not children’s hospice, which supports children with life-shortening conditions, their families and families living with the loss of their child across West Yorkshire, has retained the highest possible overall rating of ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission. Read more here.
Flu and COVID-19: still time to get your vaccines
A reminder that it is still possible to book your flu and COVID-19 vaccinations at local NHS vaccination services such as pharmacies, or you can find a COVID-19 vaccination walk-in site. The COVID-19 vaccination programme closes on 31 January. The flu vaccination programme closes on 31 March.
West Yorkshire Communication and Engagement Network
Over 80 colleagues from across the West Yorkshire health and care sector joined the quarterly network meeting on Tuesday. There was a great line up of speakers covering topics such as AI and communications, the difference between involvement and consultation, West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s campaign, ‘Just don’t’, and an overview of the engagement work of UK the Health Security Agency. Huge thank you to all our guest speakers.
Wakefield District Health and Care Partnership appoints its first Medical Director for Integrated Community Services
Wakefield District Health and Care Partnership has announced the appointment of its first Medical Director for Integrated Community Services.
Dr Colin Speers will take up the brand-new role, which will be responsible for strengthening the integration of primary, community and adult social care services across Wakefield Place, improving local population health and reducing health inequalities.
Partnership highlights reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities
Reasonable adjustments are a legal requirement under the Equality Act 2010 to make sure that public sector health services are accessible to all disabled people. Following a successful national trial, NHS organisations across West Yorkshire are now preparing to place a new alert flag on the health records of people with disabilities, including learning disabilities, that will make it easier for health and care workers to make reasonable adjustments for them. The flag is to be implemented by 31 March 2024.
We have worked with people with learning disabilities to produce a short film explaining why reasonable adjustments are important for their care and for other people with learning disabilities to know that they can ask for reasonable adjustments to be made.
Urgent and emergency care programme board update
The Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) Programme Board met on 9 January and was chaired by Clare Smith, Chief Operating Officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust and Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) for the programme.
Updates were provided on each of the UEC service transformation priorities. The Board were updated on the development of the service development and improvement plan (SDIP) as part of the West Yorkshire urgent care service review. The same day emergency care (SDEC) principles and exclusion criteria proposed by the SDEC Task and Finish Group have been supported by the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT) UEC Recovery Group. The Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) Transformation workstream have begun working with UEC Place Leads to understand the volume of rejections and reasoning behind rejected referrals into falls services.
Jo Wood, Associate Director of Operations, Corporate Operations Team at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, will be the new SRO for the SDEC workstream.
Further updates were presented to the Board on the development of the UEC priorities for 2024/25, the review of the governance arrangements for the Yorkshire and Humber Integrated Commissioning Forum, and the newly developed YAS five-year strategy and push model. An evaluation report from the ‘Together We Can’ winter communications campaign 2023 – 2024 will be shared in spring.