The Royal Free London group model
Along with Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, and Guy's and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, we were chosen to set up and lead a group of NHS providers who will share services and resources to improve the experience of our staff and patients. As a result of this, we moved to a group model structure.
We will have a new operational structure with:
- local hospital management teams in place
- a group board and group executive team
- new divisional structures
Working side-by-side with other healthcare experts we can share ways of working which we know deliver the best outcomes. By working collectively, we can reduce variations in patient care and the cost of treatment that we see across the group, increasing our purchasing power.
We will also be able to share services which are essential to the day-to-day running of a hospital. By working at a larger scale, teams such as HR and finance can support a group of hospitals, rather than just one. This means we can improve efficiency and have more money to invest in patient care.
Our plan brings together a range of acute providers to create a ‘group’ of hospitals, connected by a solitary group centre – like models seen internationally, such as Intermountain Healthcare in Utah, USA. Individual trusts will be able to join the group under a range of membership options, from full membership to arrangements such as buddying.
By working as a group, we bring together larger numbers of clinicians to share their knowledge about the best ways to treat patients in line with the best care available across the globe.
How we are working with North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust
North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust (NMUH) joined the Royal Free London (RFL) group in September 2017 as its first clinical partner.
As a clinical partner, NMUH will work alongside the RFL to ensure there are consistent approaches to designing and delivering care based on evidence and best practice – nationally and internationally.
The partnership is the culmination of two years of close working between the Royal Free London and North Middlesex. Doctors and nurses from across the two trusts have been sharing their expertise to help transform the standards of care that our patients and local communities will receive in the months and years ahead.
NMUH will continue to have its own separate board. A hospital chief executive – like the roles at that level at Barnet Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital and Chase Farm Hospital – will now be advertised.
For more information on our group structure contact rf.groupmodel@nhs.net