15 December 2016

2016 has been a successful and challenging year on many levels, not all of which we could have predicted. Our partnership has continued to deliver improvements and advances in medical science, healthcare delivery and education that are making a tangible impact both locally and globally.

That we have done so against a backdrop of political change and uncertainty as well as pressurised services and finances is testament to the dedication and commitment of all our staff. Our workforce and student population come together from all corners of the globe to contribute to our tripartite mission for excellence in clinical care, research and education, and to serve our local boroughs, and it is the high quality of our people that allow us to make such a huge impact.

2016 has seen many highlights – here are just a few that I would like to remind you of:

  • all three of our trusts increased their levels of clinical research studies in the last year, and are among the highest recruiting organisations in the country.
  • we relaunched our Mind and Body programme, with a focus on training our staff to deliver more joined-up mental and physical care to our patients and service users. We also continue to increase the number of physical health services in which we screen patients for mental illness, and have launched our innovative 3 Dimensions of Care for Long Term Conditions (3DLC) service.
  • our value based healthcare programme continues to  work with our Clinical Academic Groups (CAGs) to redesign cross-organisation patient pathways and improve health outcomes. The Pharmaceutical Sciences CAG published its first Outcomes Book, and a number of CAGs will be publishing their books in the new year.
  • colleagues from across our partnership continue to develop plans for a more integrated clinical academic offering in key areas of collective strength, including cardiovascular, haematology, clinical neurosciences and diabetes and obesity. Clinicians and scientists are now working alongside each other in our fantastic new Cancer Centre at Guy’s. And we have also worked with our partners across southeast London to help develop our local Sustainability and Transformation Plan.
  • the award-winning Local Care Record was launched, linking up patient records across our hospital partners and local GP practices.
  • we launched our new MBBS Curriculum 2020, designed to deliver joined up mental and physical healthcare training to the next generation of healthcare professionals.
  • 20 new resources have been added to our King’s Health Partners Learning Hub this year, bringing the total to 90 e-learning opportunities available to all staff across our partnership.
  • teams from across our partnership have been recognised for their excellence at numerous prestigious healthcare and academic award ceremonies.
  • our global health partnerships in Sierra Leone and Somaliland continue to support the development of sustainable healthcare systems, and we have recently launched an exciting new partnership venture in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  

As we look towards 2017, I would also like to reassure you that the leadership of King’s Health Partners is fully committed to championing the vital roles of the NHS and medical science as the country navigates the challenging months ahead. There are many exciting opportunities for closer collaborative working and I am confident that our partnership will continue to be at the forefront of improving health and wellbeing locally and globally. I wish you and your families a happy and healthy festive holiday.

Professor Sir Robert Lechler

Executive Director, King's Health Partners