From April 2016, Salford Royal provided leadership and operational support to The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (which currently runs The Royal Oldham Hospital, Fairfield General Hospital in Bury, Rochdale Infirmary and North Manchester General Hospital) following its CQC Inspection in February 2016.
This arrangement was formalised under a management agreement in April 2017, and paved the way for the establishment of the Northern Care Alliance NHS Group. From the 1st April 2017, the Northern Care Alliance NHS Group (NCA) was launched, bringing together over 17,000 staff, 2000 beds and serving a population of over 1 million.
With an operating budget of £1.3bn, our new Alliance provides the benefits of scale but delivers this locally through multiple hospital sites and local healthcare services. Four Care Organisations for Oldham, Bury/Rochdale, North Manchester and Salford are responsible for delivering safe, high quality and reliable care to the local communities they serve.
The NCA Group provides a range of healthcare services including five hospitals and associated community services - Salford Royal, The Royal Oldham Hospital, Fairfield General Hospital in Bury, Rochdale Infirmary and North Manchester General Hospital.
Why was the Group set up?
This Group is being developed to fully align and be consistent with the priorities of the strategic themes of the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership. It will develop new ways of working that will ensure patients receive consistently high standards of care.
The function of the Group is to support its Care Organisations in the following areas;
Developing Service Strategy.
Agreeing new/replacement building and equipment.
Agreeing annual operational delivery plans.
Developing a standardised operating model which determines best care on the basis of evidence of best practice.
Organising this standardised care to be delivered effectively across multiple sites and locations.
Together as a Group of local healthcare providers we will be one of the largest NHS organisations in the country. Together we will serve a population of over 1 million people across our local communities. The Northern Care Alliance is governed by a Committees in Common (CiC) where both NHS Trusts have devolved it decision making. The Alliance is chaired by Mr Jim Potter and led by Group Chief Executive, Sir David Dalton and his Executive Team.
Our Care Organisations
Our four Care Organisations are; Salford, Oldham, Bury/Rochdale and North Manchester. To enable the safe delivery of high quality care at scale, a leadership team of directors will have clear accountability and authority to govern each Care Organisation. The new leadership team will ensure healthcare services are clinically and financially sustainable across a number of localities. This will mean that patients, no matter where they are treated in Group, will experience personalised care that is based on need and high standards of care are consistent.
Each Care Organisation now consists of a Medical Director, a Director of Nursing, Managing Director, and a Finance Director. Together they will manage and be responsible for the day to day running of the hospitals and community services of a Care Organisation. One of the four members of each leadership team will be appointed as the Chief Officer.
Agreeing new/replacement building and equipmentare, they play a much broader role in each locality and are supporting the establishment of new integrated models of care. We are working closely with our partners to develop Integrated Care Organisations (ICOs) to join together health and care services and shift more care into a community setting. Within Salford we have established our first Integrated Care Organisation, with the Salford Royal acting as the ‘lead provider’.
The Northern Care Alliance NHS Group is strongly placed to support the development of emerging ICOs across the wider conurbation, through a partnership model with other health and social care providers
Future of North Manchester General Hospital
The transfer of North Manchester General Hospital to become part of the new city-wide Manchester NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) is part of the plan to create a Single Hospital Service for the City of Manchester. This is consistent with the Healthier Manchester Locality Plan where North Manchester Community Services will also join the Manchester Local Care Organisation (LCO) during 2018/19.
All partners are committed to the future of North Manchester General Hospital. They agree it has a positive and vibrant future, continuing to provide much needed health and care services to the local population of North Manchester, as well as those who will travel from other parts of Greater Manchester to use its services. It has a vital role to play as part of the single hospital service for Manchester. It will continue to provide a range of hospital services, including emergency and maternity care. These were the messages agreed at the North Manchester Strategy Board in late 2017; the proposed transaction does not change these intentions.
The PAHT Transaction Board, independently chaired by the Chief Officer of Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership (GMHSCP), aims to complete the transaction in the second half of 2019-2020 subject to due diligence, agreement of financial plans and approval of business cases.
