Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

04/07/2025

BCHC Charity kicked off our NHS birthday celebrations yesterday at Moseley Hall Hospital, and what a wonderful day it was!

The weather was glorious as BCHC Charity, in collaboration with Caring Minds (the official NHS charity for Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust), brought tasty treats, fun games, mindful origami activities and more to staff at Moseley Hall Hospital. Each year, BCHC Charity uses the NHS’ birthday as an opportunity to celebrate what makes the NHS truly great; our colleagues, the people at the heart of the NHS who go above and beyond to care for our communities.

We’d like to say a huge thank you to the Movewell team from University of Birmingham for offering health and wellbeing information, Sarah from the British Origami Society for running the origami activity, Missi Mulla for fundraising through sweet sales, Capita volunteers who helped run the event smoothly, DJ Fo for providing the brilliant soundtrack to the event, and Irwin Mitchell for not only offering fun boccia sessions, but also funding an ice cream van to ensure everyone kept cool out in the sun!

Thanks to all who came along and made it a success, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

04/07/2025

The work of the BCHC led Community Care Collaborative featured on BBC News last night when members of the team were interviewed at Washwood Heath Health and Wellbeing Centre, also known as the East Birmingham Locality Hub. The piece included the care co-ordination centre and the Respiratory Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) service provided by UHB.

The Centre was chosen by BBC Midlands Today, because of its early adoption of a number of key areas outlined in the government's 10 Year Health Plan, which was announced yesterday.

Richard Kirby, Chief Executive of Birmingham Community Healthcare Trust and national advisor for neighbourhood health was interviewed followed by Dr Rifat Rashid, Hospital Executive Director for Heartlands Hospital and Senior Responsible Officer for the East Locality Hub and Dr Subeena Suleman, Clinical Director for Primary Care in East Birmingham

Tom, a patient who was receiving care for their respiratory illness was also interviewed and he couldn't speak highly enough of the service and the care he has received.

The programme aired at 19:30pm last night and is available on iPlayer. Pictured is Dr Rifat Rashid with Tom in the Respiratory Same Day Emergency Care service.

03/07/2025

02/07/2025

Three Birmingham-based GPs were invited by the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer to attend a reception held at Number 10 in advance of the NHS’ 10 Year Health Plan. 👏

Dr Maher El-Toudmeri, Dr Matthew Swales and Dr Kurrendeep Sandhu were recently appointed through NHS England’s Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), introduced in October 2024 to expand the primary care workforce.

Delivered via our GP Provider Support Unit, Birmingham and Solihull has seen the best performance in the region, with 68 newly qualified GPs recruited to primary care networks.

The GP Provider Support Unit relocated to BCHC’s trust headquarters in June, moving from the Integrated Care Board (ICB) offices. The move is a key step in bringing primary and community care closer together.

The doctors, along with other healthcare professionals and public servants were invited to Number 10 as part of the pre-engagement launch of the transformational Plan, hosted by the PM.

Dr El-Toudmeri shared:

“The event to me highlighted the importance of appreciating that although our work can seem small scale when we are seeing individual patients and serving a small community, we are part of a wider team.”

The 10 Year Health Plan is believed to be announced this week and will include a focus on three strategic shifts, moving care from hospital to community, sickness to prevention and analogue to digital.

30/06/2025

Financial Times features the successes of Washwood Heath.👏

BCHC and its Community Care Collaborative partners featured in the Financial Times this week following a recent visit by Sarah Neville, Global Health Editor for the broadsheet.

Sarah interviewed our Chief Executive, Richard Kirby, about our work at Washwood Heath Health and Wellbeing Centre, which has been trialling a new model of care over the last twelve months. She described our work as:

"The new NHS initiative in east Birmingham where a community health centre combines hospital specialists, GPs, and community care, moving away from traditional divisions."

Sarah also interviewed Chris Little, a patient with emphysema, who is benefitting from this integrated approach, by receiving care closer to home and feeling more at ease. She reported that:

"This model... represents a significant shift from the hospital-centric approach of the past."

You can learn more about the Washwood Heath Health and Wellbeing Centre in the following video.

nhs.uk NHS England NHS Birmingham and Solihull

30/06/2025

“Everyone has a story — and most people just want to feel seen, heard and understood.”

In this edition of Five Minutes With, we caught up with Alex Evans, one of our Patient Experience and Engagement Leads. With a background in journalism, Alex has always had a vested interest in people and the stories they have to share. 📰🤝

In his current role, Alex listens to a patient’s, service user’s or carer’s experience at BCHC, feeding back what went well and where we could improve in the future. Working alongside his colleagues in the Patient Experience team, his role is to ensure Team BCHC continuously evolves, improves outcomes, builds trust and makes our services easier to navigate for the local community within Adult Community Services (ACS). Read more below. 👇

👉 Could you tell us more about what a Patient Experience and Engagement Lead does and how your role directly impacts patients?

My job is to create safe spaces for patients, service users and carers to tell their stories and share their experiences. I spend a lot of time visiting people in their homes, out in clinics and community settings, learning what made their care better — or occasionally, what didn’t go so well.

As one of our four Patient Experience and Engagement Leads, I support services in ACS. That includes gathering feedback through surveys, interviews and forums, but also helping staff turn that insight into practical improvements.

In my six years with the team, I’ve led work on public engagement, volunteering, Experts by Experience, patient information and Sight Loss Awareness. I also helped digitise patient feedback during the pandemic using our video appointments platform Attend Anywhere, expanding how we listen in the digital age.

It’s not just about listening though — it’s about improving outcomes, building trust, and making services easier to navigate.

👉 Why did you want to work in the NHS?

I trained as a journalist for The Birmingham Post in the early 2000s, so storytelling has always been in my blood. I later had a chance to join the newly formed Communications team just before BCHC was created. I spent a decade working in digital communications, helping launch the Trust’s first and second brand identity, website, social media channels and our long-standing VIP Awards.

Over time, I realised I wanted to move from communicating the NHS story to helping shape it — directly, with patients at the heart.

👉 How important is our Patient Experience team to the Trust?

Patient experience is a golden thread running through every service at BCHC. Listening to both positive and negative experiences help teams celebrate best practice and improve care with insight and empathy.

In a super-diverse city like Birmingham — with both one of the UK’s youngest populations and a rapidly ageing one — no two patient stories are the same. We help ensure every voice is captured and reflected, regardless of background, culture, language or condition.

👉 Has there been a standout moment in your career that has made you feel particularly proud?

A standout moment was welcoming Her Majesty The Queen to open Birmingham Dental Hospital — possibly her last official visit to the city. I was part of the organising team, and it’s something I’ll always remember.

👉 What is the most difficult thing about your role?

Hearing difficult stories from patients can be emotionally tough — especially when you wish things had gone better for them. But I’ve learned to see those moments as opportunities. Every story, no matter what it is, is a chance to learn, grow and improve.

👉 What has working in your field taught you about life in general?

It’s taught me that everyone has a story — and most people just want to feel seen, heard and understood. That’s as true in a hospital corridor as it is in life.

👉 Tell us something that people might not know about you

I spent two weeks rebuilding a community centre in Sri Lanka after the tsunami of 2004. I also met the Dalai Lama at his temple in Dharamsala, during his 10th Annual Prayer Teachings.

👉 Describe yourself in three words

Inquisitive, tenacious, inclusive — I ask questions, problem solve and make sure everyone has a seat at the table.

27/06/2025

BCHC Charity is at the Autism and ADHD Show at the NEC today and tomorrow, showcasing our Cadent Gas-funded Well and Warm project for those that need it most within the neurodivergent community. We were also joined today by Rachael Garvey and Helen Jones who shared current developments of support for autistic people across BSOL by the NHS and partners.

26/06/2025

This week, BCHC hosted its seventh annual Leadership Conference.

The theme this year was “Leading BCHC in a Changing NHS”. With nearly 200 leaders across the trust in attendance, the event reflected on the big national changes set to impact how we work in the future.

Opening the conference our Chief Executive Richard Kirby explored some of the challenges we may face going ahead such as tighter financial constraints and pressure to reduce waiting times for some of our services. He also discussed the ways in which we are positively working – some of which are influenced by the NHS’ 10-Year Health Plan. Richard paid particular attention to our integrated neighbourhood teams where we are working with partner organisations for a community-based approach to transforming healthcare.

David Holmes, our Chief People Officer discussed the Team BCHC Way, in which he talked about how our Values should be embedded in the ways we work and lead. Attendees joined David on stage to share their career journey and how different leaders at BCHC have helped them develop.

Dr Robbie Dedi, Chief Medical Officer and Lorraine Galligan, Chief of Nursing and Therapies talked attendees through our soon to be published Philosophy of Care strategy. The strategy illustrates our aim to provide “excellent, safe and high-quality care with humanity, humility and hope” said Lorraine.

Shahzad Choudhry, our Director of Equity shared the efforts we are making to become an anti-racist trust, taking the opportunity to showcase our new United Against Racism campaign video.

Later in the afternoon Chris Holt, Chief Transformation Officer and Reva Stewart Chief Operating Officer further explored the Community Care Collaborative and how we plan to work with localities and in neighbourhoods going forward.

To conclude the event, a panel, including our partners at Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and the GP Partnership Board shared how we are working together to develop our neighbourhood healthcare to achieve better outcomes for the community.

Reflecting on the event, one attendee shared:

“I found the event to be really positive and informative. We will have some challenges in the year ahead, but I feel that our leaders are prepared for this and will support and guide the workforce through these changes.”

25/06/2025

The Falls Prevention team will be holding a drop-in session at Sycamore Court from 10:30AM-1:00PM on Tuesday 1 July. Please come along for free advice and information on falls and frailty.

25/06/2025

This Armed Forces Week, tell your GP practice if you’ve ever served in the UK Armed Forces. It could be relevant to your health and means you’ll get the support that’s right for you.

Armed Forces Week can be tough for some. Accessing Op COURAGE, the veteran's mental health and wellbeing service is designed to help veterans and their families in England.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you need support.

Find out more in the comments.

NHS Birmingham and Solihull Birmingham City Council

25/06/2025

“So much of the way our current system works pushes patients towards the acute hospitals in a way that causes real difficulties for colleagues working in acute care.
“We've got to work differently with acute colleagues as well as colleagues in primary and community and social care to change this."

Read the thoughts of our chief executive, Richard Kirby, as part of the NHS Confederation's latest exploration of the system change needed to realise the ambition of delivering care closer to home.

The Community Network unpacks what's needed to realise the ambition of delivering care closer to home.