Welcome to our freedom of information publication scheme
At North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare Trust, we are committed to transparency and accountability in delivering high-quality care.
This FOI publication scheme outlines the key information we publish, how you can access it, and how we operate as part of the NHS to provide high-quality care for our community.
Our publication scheme structure is in line with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and aims to ensure that information is accessible to the public.
Below, you will find an overview of the trust, our services, financial information, performance priorities and governance processes.
By adhering to these principles, we uphold our commitment to transparency while balancing the need for confidentiality where appropriate.
For more detailed information or to make a request, please contact our FOI team by email: FOIRequests@combined.nhs.uk
Who we are and what we do
Our role in the NHS framework
North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust is a leading provider of inpatient and community mental health, learning disability, substance misuse and primary care services in the West Midlands.
As part of the NHS, we work alongside Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), and local partners to meet the health needs of our population. We work collaboratively to deliver person-centred care and ensure that every service user receives tailored support.
Our Trust Strategy 2023–2028 strategic direction is guided by key national policies. To learn more, view the Trust Strategy:
Organisation structure
This section is currently being updated, with an expected completion date of March 2025. In the meantime, you can view profiles of the members of our trust Board and our non-executive directors here:
Partnerships
We provide system-wide leadership for a range of key areas across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, as well as continuing to strengthen integration alongside our partners as we develop and advance the NHS vision for integrated care and new models of delivery towards a strong Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care System.
More details can be found in our Annual Report within our ‘trust publications’ page and our strategic plan is mentioned in our Trust Strategy document:
Leadership team
Meet our experienced leadership team, who guide our trust and drive our strategic priorities. This section is currently being updated, with an expected completion date of March 2025. In the meantime, you can view profiles of the members of our trust Board and our non-executive directors here:
Contact details
Contact information for all public-facing departments, including the ‘Patient Advice and Liaison Service’ (PALS), and the locations of all our facilities can be found on the ‘services and locations’ page, and PALS’ own page:
What we spend and how we spend it
Annual statement of accounts
Our financial accounts provide a detailed breakdown of how we allocate public funds, summarising our income, expenditure, and overall financial health. View the annual statement of accounts for this year and previous years in our Annual Report on our ‘trust publications’ page:
Financial governance
Financial governance is covered in the standing financial instructions that can be found on our trust publications page:
Budget and variance reports
We publish detailed budget and financial reports that highlight any variances in spending. These reports demonstrate how we adjust plans to meet changing healthcare needs. Budget and variance reports can be viewed in the Board meeting reports in ‘Our Board’ section here:
Expenditure over £25,000
We publish detailed expenditure reports that outline all spending over £25,000. These reports provide transparency and demonstrate how funds are allocated to meet changing healthcare needs. The expenditure over £25,000 reports can be viewed in our ‘Expenditure over £25,000 archive’ here:
Annual accounts
Our annual reports, that include our annual accounts reports can be found in the trust publications section:
Financial audit reports
External and internal audits ensure we are adhering to high standards in financial management. These reports help maintain transparency and accountability in out spending practices. Read our financial audit reports on our ‘trust publications’ page:
Staff allowances and expenses
We provide comprehensive details on staff allowances, board members’ expenses and travel reimbursements, all in line with NHS Agenda for Change standards. Our annual report outlines board allowances and related policies, including:
- Allowances and expenses paid to board directors
- Car mileage and expenses guidance can be provided via email or hard copy upon request.
- Employee travel expenses and subsistence policy can be provided via email or hard copy upon request.
View the annual statement of accounts for this year and previous years in our Annual General Meeting reports in the ‘Our Board’ section:
Standing financial instructions
Our standing financial instructions outlines the framework for our financial management and accountability, ensuring compliance with nation regulators. Learn more about our standing financial instructions on our ‘trust publications’ page:
Capital programme
Find details about our investment plans infrastructure, technology and service improvements, highlighting our commitment to better healthcare delivery in our monthly finance reports to the trust Board in the monthly board meetings:
Staff pay and grading structures
Pay and grading structures within the trust follow the national Agenda for Change structure. More information about Agenda for Change can be found on the NHS employers website.
Information regarding senior manager salaries are detailed in our annual report, which can be found on the trust publications page here:
Procurement and contracts
Our procurement services are outsourced to University Hospital of North Midlands (UHNM). Information about our procurement process, including open tenders, awarded contracts, and guidance for businesses interested in working with us, is available upon request email or hardcopy.
What our priorities are and how we are doing
Annual reports and plans
Our Annual Report highlights the trust’s key achievements, while our Trust Strategy 2023–2028 Document (5-year plan) outlines our long-term strategy and focuses on advancing healthcare services in the region through improvement and transformation.
This vision is driven by three strategic priorities; Prevention, Access and Growth. You can find both these reports on our trust publications page, and our trust strategy page:
Performance targets
We measure our success through key performance indicators (KPIs) that evaluate response times, patient satisfaction, and other clinical outcomes. These KPIs are regularly updated in our monthly performance reports, which can be found within the board meeting reports in the ‘Our Board’ section of the website:
CQC and audit reports
We are committed to transparency in service quality. Our Care quality Commission (CQC) rating reports and audit findings such as the Annual Audit Letter and Mental Health Act Commission Annual Report, assesses out adherence to national standards.
Links to these are here:
Clinical governance
Clinical governance describes the way in which healthcare organisations and their staff ensure the delivery of high quality healthcare.
You can find out more about clinical governance at Combined Healthcare by viewing papers from our trust Board meetings found in the ‘Our Board’ section, and in our annual quality accounts on the trust publications page:
Service user feedback
We actively seek feedback from patients and service users through surveys. This feedback, including patient satisfaction data, helps us continuously improve our services. View our service user survey results here. [insert link to Service User Survey Results]
How we make decisions
Board papers – agenda, supporting papers and minutes
Our decision-making process is transparent and open to the public, you can access the agenda, reports, and minutes from our board meetings (excluding private sessions) through our Board papers page. Recordings of board meetings are also available.
Additionally, the Ask the Board Online section provides an opportunity for the public to submit questions directly to the Board. All of this can be found the ‘Our Board’ section:
Patient and public involvement (PPI)
We value public and patient involvement in the development of our services. This website is regularly updated with our latest news and developments. You can also follow the trust on social media.
For more information please see the ‘patient information’ section:
Public consultations
Any ongoing public consultations that are undertaken would be publicised and reported on the website.
Our policies and procedures
Robust policies on a wide variety of clinical and non-clinical issues are used around the trust to ensure all staff understand their responsibilities and that best working practice is adhered to.
Our People Plan
Discover how we support and develop our workforce by reading our trust People Plan, which outlines our commitment to creating a positive and inclusive working environment. You can view this on the ‘trust publications’ page:
Diversity and inclusion policies
We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment for both staff and service users. Our ‘inclusion and belonging’ page outlines our policies, including reports on the Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) and Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES).
Complaints and customer service
If you have concerns or complaints, our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) is available to support you. This page includes information on how to file a complaint, along with guidance on advocacy services. Additionally we have a dedicated complaints page:
Data protection
We adhere to stringent data protection standards in line with GDPR and NHS regulations. Information on data protection, information governance and the Caldicott Guardian is available. Copies of related policies procedures can be provided via email or hard copy upon request.
We adhere to stringent data protection standards in line with GDPR and NHS regulations. Information on data protection policies, is available here:
Charging for information
Copies of the Access to Health and Employee Records Policy can be sent via email or hard copy upon request. The following are available online:
- Procedure for Processing Requests for information (FOI)
- FOI Publication Scheme
- Subject Access Requests
FOI compliance
The following is a download that details the requests received from 2019 to 2024.
Lists and registers
Register of interests
Board members and senior staff declare any conflicts of interest to ensure transparency in decision-making. This register is publicly available on our ‘trust publications’ page:
Register of gifts and hospitality
To ensure compliance with ethical guidelines, we maintain a record of any gifts or hospitality offered to staff, which can be accessed:
You can find the gifts, hospitality, and sponsorship reports on our ‘trust publications’ page:
The services we offer
Clinical and non-clinical services
We offer a range of services to meet the health needs of our local community, including mental health services, learning disability support, substance misuse treatment and primary care services. Details on all services we offer are available on the ‘services and locations’ page:
Patient information and resources
We provide comprehensive guides, leaflets, and newsletters to help patients navigate our services. This information can be accessed on our ‘patient information’ page:
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
Our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) provides support assistance to patients, their families and carers. We encourage you to contact PALS for guidance, concerns, or feedback:
Corporate communications
Stay updated on news, media releases, and announcements through our ‘latest updates’ page:
Further information
Charges – online information
The trust will not charge for information which is provided online via the trust’s website or via email.
Charges – hard copy information
In most cases the trust would not seek to charge for providing hard copy information, but it reserves the right to do so where exceptionally large amounts of information are requested.
The trust reserves the right to charge the full costs of disbursements (photocopying, printing and postage). These charges will be calculated at the time the request is made and will be a recharge of the actual costs incurred by the trust.
The trust will not make a charge without first informing the applicant that, because of exceptionally large amount of information requested, the costs of disbursements will be recovered.
The trust will seek to work with the applicant to provide the information by other means. This could be by providing an opportunity to view the information requested at one of the trust’s sites or online.
If a charge is to be made, confirmation of the payment due will be given before the information is provided. Payment may be requested prior to provision of the information.
