It took over three GP practices in Wolverhampton in April 2016 as a pilot scheme for vertically integrated care. The 12 GPs became employees of the trust. The practices: Alfred Squire Road Health Centre and Lea Road Medical Practice in Wolverhampton and the MGS Medical Practice in Bilston have 23,000 registered patients. In June 2017 it took over more practices bringing the total to 12 with 70,000 registered patients and 37 GP partners now employed by the trust. It announced a partnership with Babylon Health in January 2020 to develop “digital-first integrated care”. The trust itself runs 10 GP practices. In April 2020 it made a deal with the company for citywide coverage of its new covid-19 care assistant app, which will be available to 300,000 patients registered to Wolverhampton GPs, and all the trust staff.
Performance
The Trust was highlighted by NHS England as having 3 of 148 reported never events in the period from April to September 2013. Mrs Sandra Haynes-Kirkbright was suspended by the Trust in July 2012 because of allegations made against her by colleagues of bullying, harassment, persistent swearing and unprofessional behaviour. She has alleged that the Trust cheated in concealing high mortality rates. Her whistle blowing allegations and subsequent treatment have been the subject of investigation by the NHS Trust Development Authority. She continues to be suspended on full pay. In May 2016 an independent review by Lucy Scott-Moncrieff into her case ordered by Jeremy Hunt condemned the trust for its 'significantly flawed' and 'unfair' treatment of her. Chief Executive David Loughton CBE was said by the Daily Mail to have spent more than £10 million of taxpayers' money over the past two decades fighting whistleblowers. Denise Harnin, former director of human resources, told the enquiry ‘When we’ve had briefings, in readiness for CQC visits and the like, it’s a kind of standard drill “answer the question and then shut up, don’t elaborate”.’ She added: ‘It’s about control isn’t it?’. The Gregg's bakery shop at New Cross is said to be the firm's second busiest outlet - much busier than the cafe on the site which sells healthier food. The trust was in dispute about £4 million funding for nurses with the Wolverhampton Clinical commissioning group which was subject to arbitration. The arbitration hearing sided in favour of the trust leaving it with £2 million to pay for seven-day working and supervisory ward nurses, and in favour of the CCG for 135 nurses employed to improve staffing on the wards, meaning £2 million was withdrawn. The trust decided in November 2017 that it would reduce the number of full-time equivalent band five registered nurses by 23.58 to a total of 507.85 and increase the number of band four care staff roles from 6 to 30.52 to reflect the addition of 24 nursing associate roles. The chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing said: “This is substitution. Our position is really clear that there may be a role for these staff but not as a substitute for nurses. The evidence is really clear about the risks to patients."
