Introduction from our Chair

Thank you for your interest in joining the Board of Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as a Non-Executive Director.
This is an important time for both the NHS and our Trust. Health and care services are changing rapidly in response to increasing demand, an ageing population, financial pressures and the need to tackle health inequalities. The NHS 10 Year Health Plan and its three key shifts, from hospital to community, from analogue to digital and from sickness to prevention, will shape how services are designed and delivered in the years ahead.

At WWL, we recognise that these changes cannot be delivered by organisations working in isolation. As an anchor institution, we are committed to working closely with primary care, local authorities, community services, the voluntary sector and partners across Wigan and Greater Manchester to provide more joined-up care and improve outcomes for the communities we serve. Digital technology and innovation will also be central to transforming services and making care more accessible, effective and sustainable.

Our strategy sets out the direction for the Trust over the coming years. Built around our priorities of Patients, People, Performance and Partnerships, it reflects our ambition to improve the quality of care, strengthen collaboration, develop community and neighbourhood services, invest in our workforce and embrace innovation where it will make a genuine difference for patients and staff.

The Board has an important role in providing leadership, constructive challenge and assurance as we deliver this strategy. Alongside overseeing quality, safety, performance and financial sustainability, the Board must help set the right culture across the organisation. Our values and behaviours are fundamental to how we lead, how we treat one another and how we provide care. We are committed to creating a culture where people feel respected, supported, listened to and able to speak openly.

We are looking for experienced individuals who share our values and want to make a meaningful contribution to the future of the Trust. We welcome people who bring sound judgement, strategic thinking and curiosity, together with the confidence to offer constructive challenge while working collaboratively with colleagues across the Board and the wider health and care system. An understanding of the direction of the NHS, the importance of primary and community care, partnership working and the opportunities offered by digital technology will be particularly valuable.

This pack provides further information about the opportunity to join our Board and the experience we are seeking. I hope it gives you a clear understanding of our ambitions and inspires you to consider becoming part of the next stage of WWL’s development.

Thank you again for your interest. I look forward to hearing from you.

Dame Robina Shah

Chair
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust