Manchester Mental Health & Social Care Trust announces the following in a letter to staff and service users from CEO Michele Moran.
Statement Below made Today By: Michele Moran Chief Executive Manchester Mental Health & Social Care Trust
Following serious consideration, the Trust Board has taken the decision to formally withdraw from the Foundation Trust authorisation process.
This decision has been taken as we await the publication of commissioning intentions from the three Manchester CCGs and Manchester City Council. As many of you know, our commissioners are seeking to develop a long-term, best-in-class mental health system for the city of Manchester. Work is already underway on this and the publication of their long-term commissioning intentions is imminent, although regrettably not within the timeframe of our Foundation Trust application.
Our decision to step out of the Foundation Trust process will, we believe, enable us to play a full part in this development work to ensure more integrated and seamless care pathways for all those who use our services.
I know that you will be disappointed, given the excellent work undertaken by all of you to get us to this final stage of full authorisation as a Foundation Trust. I cannot stress enough how much I, and the Board, appreciate your efforts, commitment and support. Thank you, all.
However, as you know, it has always been our priority to put patients first in all that we do. We want to work with our staff, our service users, Governors, commissioners and partners to keep mental health services at the top of the integration agenda and ensure that local needs are reflected in any plans for the future.
We will now take a few weeks to consider the next steps as we take this agenda forward together, while continuing to focus on providing high quality care across all our services. I will, of course, keep you fully informed of any next steps or significant developments as they occur.
In the short term, the Trust will continue to deliver the same services and will still be developing these so that we can help people access support quicker and receive the right treatment in the right place at the right time. We will continue to work with our commissioners and the National Trust Development Authority, as well as our staff, our service users and carers to identify new ways of working with other partners too so that we can make sure that service users get the full range of services they need.
Thank you.
Michele Moran
Chief Executive