Professor John Cox visits the Parent and Baby Team at North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust

As NHS staff across the country continue to work under intense pressure, Combined Healthcare will be able to provide crucial support to help improve the wellbeing of local NHS staff, both now and in the future, thanks to a £49,998 grant from NHS Charities Together and NHS England. The grant has been awarded as part of an £11 million programme – which includes a £5 million contribution from NHS England – and is one of 61 ambitious projects across England to receive funding from the programme since its launch in 2024.

The latest digital learning film from Combined - unveiled today - features its Digital Trainer FRED (Finance and Resources Expert in Delivery) explaining the principles and practice lying behind our Cost Improvement Programme (CIP). The film is available in two formats. The first is a traditional 16:9 film, suitable for screens, mobile devices and tablets. The second places FRED in a fully immersive 360 degree virtual reality environment, and can be watched online or for the full immersive experience via a VR headset such as Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest Pro.