Model Publication Scheme
Every public authority subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 is required to adopt and maintain an approved publication scheme. A publication scheme is a commitment to routinely and proactively provide information to the public.
The trust has adopted the model publication scheme approved by the Information Commissioner. More about the publication scheme can be viewed on the Information Commissioner’s website here.
This publication scheme commits the trust to make information available to the public as part of its normal business activities. The Information Commissioner has issued specific guidance about the information NHS Trusts are expected to make available. The guidance for NHS trusts can also be viewed on the Information Commissioner’s website here.
The trust has produced this Guide to Information to inform the public about the information covered by this scheme and how it can be obtained. Wherever possible, information will be made routinely available on our website (www.combined.nhs.uk). This Guide to Information will be reviewed on a regular basis.
If you require access to hard copies of any of the information sources/documents referred to in the publication scheme or want guidance on how to access information under the general right of access, please contact:
Nicola Griffiths
Deputy Director of Governance
North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust
Harplands Hospital
Hilton Road
Stoke-on-Trent
ST4 6TH
Reception Telephone: 0300 123 1535
Information held by the Trust that is not published under this scheme can be requested in writing, when its provision will be considered in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.
Email: FOIRequests@combined.nhs.uk
Who we are and what we do
North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust (the Trust) is a statutory body which came into existence on 1 April 1994 under The North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare National Health Service Trust (Establishment) Order 1993 No [2635], (the Establishment Order).
We provide inpatient and community mental health, social care, learning disability, substance misuse and primary care services to people predominantly living in the city of Stoke-on-Trent and in North Staffordshire. The Trust is one of the main providers of mental health, social care and learning disability services in the West Midlands.
We currently work from hospital, GP practice and community-based premises, operating from approximately 30 sites to approximately 464,000 people of all ages and diverse backgrounds in our core area of Stoke-on-Trent and across North Staffordshire. Our main site is Harplands Hospital, which opened in 2001 and provides the setting for most of our inpatient units. A number of our teams provide services across Staffordshire, the West Midlands and beyond.
We provide services to people with a wide range of mental health, substance misuse and learning disability and/or autism needs. Sometimes our service users need to spend time in hospital, but much more often we are able to provide care in community settings and in people’s own homes.
We also provide specialist mental health services such as child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), substance misuse services and psychological therapies, plus a range of clinical and non-clinical services to support University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM).
Our Primary Care Directorate operates three practices, Moorcroft Medical Centre, based in Stoke-on-Trent, (Hanley and Bentilee), Holmcroft Surgery, situated in Stafford and Keele GP Surgery. The directorate serves a population of approximately twenty-five thousand people and now employs over 80 staff members. The Directorate further cements the pivotal role that the Trust has within the North Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care System (ICS). In November 2021, we were proud to announce that our primary care leadership of Moorcroft Medical Centre and Moss Green Surgery had been rated as Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission – the highest leadership rating it is possible to achieve.
The Trust has a range of formal and informal mechanisms in place to facilitate effective working with key partners across the local economy. These include participation in partnership boards which bring together health, social care, independent and voluntary sector organisations in the City of Stoke-on-Trent and the county of Staffordshire.
We help drive improvements across the wider health and care economy, through our leadership roles in the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care System.
We employed an average of 1,609 employed WTE and 229 other staff during 2022/23. 2022/23 was another strong year for the Trust financial achieving a surplus for the year from continuing operations of £0.4m against income of £163.2m.
In March 2019, we were delighted and proud to announce that the Care Quality Commission had awarded the Trust an overall “Outstanding” rating – the highest overall rating they can award – making Combined Healthcare 1 of only 2 specialist mental health Trusts in England with an overall ‘Outstanding’ rating.
We look to involve our service users in everything we do, from providing feedback about the services we provide, to helping shape our priorities, to helping us find the right people to work for and with us. This work is co-ordinated by our Service User and Carer Council.
Our services have been delivered from within a locality structure with an Associate Director and Clinical Director formally responsible for each Directorates. These are supported across the trust by our Corporate Services.
Our four directorates are:
- Community Mental Health;
- Specialist Services;
- Acute Services and Urgent Care; and
- Primary Care.
The trust’s board of directors is made up of a non-executive Chair, Non-Executive Directors, the Chief Executive and Executive Directors.
You can see details of all our board members here.
For details of upcoming board meetings, click here.
For papers relating to previous board meetings from January 2014 onwards, click here.
Board responsibilities
The board is responsible for setting the overall strategic direction of the trust and for monitoring performance against its principal objectives. It decides on policy and ensures that the trust continues to provide high quality services. The board also ensures that the trust is financially sound and performing effectively within the local community.
Board meetings
Meetings of the board of directors are held in public and trust members, the general public and NHS staff are all welcome to attend.
Annual General Meetings
Our Annual General Meeting is the official event we hold each year, where we present our Annual Report and accounts, our financial review of the year and give our staff and stakeholders the chance to ask the board any questions they may have about our performance and activities over the year just past.
Our priorities and how we are doing
Our vision
Our vision is ‘To be Outstanding’ – in all we do and how we do it.
Proud to CARE – our values for the way we want our staff to behave
In delivering our services – as well as in all of our working relationships with service users, carers, families, stakeholders and each other, we are guided by our Proud to CARE values – to be compassionate, approachable, responsible and excellent.
SPAR – our quality priorities – the four key areas which evidence that we are delivering high quality care and treatment to those using our services in a way that is person-centred
Our vision is underpinned by our SPAR quality priorities – to provide services that are safe, personalised, accessible and recovery-focused.
These guide all we do and are the benchmark against which we judge how we perform.
Our strategy
‘The Future of North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust’ – Trust Strategy 2023 – 2028
North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust’s Trust Strategy for 2023 – 2028 is called ‘The Future of North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust, Our Strategy, 2023 – 2028’.
The strategy has been developed after many months of work and engagement with Trust staff, service users and external stakeholders to deliver a strategy which addresses the needs of North Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent’s diverse, local population, aligned with Combined Healthcare’s Trust values.
View the Trust Strategy document, video and full details here.
A Greener NHS
The NHS is the world’s first health service to commit to reaching carbon net zero, in response to the profound and growing threat to health posed by climate change. The “Delivering
a Net Zero Health Service” report sets out a clear ambition and two evidence-based targets.
Partners in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent are working together to tackle climate change, and there are lots of ways we can all do our bit.
Watch this film featuring Chris Bird, System Lead for Sustainability, on what we are doing locally.
Read Combined Healthcare’s Greener NHS Plan here: NSCHT Greener NHS Plan – final for Trust Board – v14 07.01.222
Subscribe to the Greener NHS Bulletin here https://www.england.nhs.uk/email-bulletins/greener-nhs/
You can also join the Greener NHS Community here
What we spend and how we spend it
- The Annual Report and Accounts – Department of Health and Social Care Group Bodies are required to publish each year, as a single document, a three-part annual report and accounts (ARA), containing (i) Performance Report, including an overview and a performance analysis; (ii) Accountability Report, including Corporate Governance Report, Remuneration and Staff Report, Audit Report; and (iii) The Financial Statements.
- Quality Account – Quality Accounts, also known as quality reports, are produced annually to provide information and assurance for service users, families, carers, the public and commissioners that the Trust reports on quality, and shows improvements in the services we deliver.
- Other publications – key information such as expenditure over £25,000 and the Register of Board Members’ interests
You can download our Annual Reports and Quality Accounts going back to 2016/17 by clicking here
The Annual Report and Accounts is published each year at the Trust’s Annual General Meeting. You can view the proceedings and presentations for previous AGMs by clicking here
You can download a range of other financial information from the links below
Consultant Declaration Register
Register of Board Members Interests March 2024
Register of Gifts, Hospitality and Sponsorship