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In 2022/23, we provided care to more than 250,000 different patients – that’s 40% of the Worcestershire population that received care at one of our hospitals, including:

• 165,086 A&E attendances
• 143,956 inpatients
• 593,451 outpatients
• 4,875 births

We also carried out:

• 19,379 operations
• 21,407 MRI scans
• 71,378 CT scans
• 70,997 non-obstetric ultrasound scans
• 190,276 plain film X-rays
• 20,902 endoscopies

We employ over 7,000 people and over 130 local people volunteer with us helping to deliver care. We have an annual turnover of nearly £600 million.

Our catchment population extends beyond Worcestershire itself, as patients are also attracted from neighbouring areas including South Birmingham, Warwickshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and South Staffordshire. This results in a catchment population which varies between 420,000 and 800,000 depending on the service.

In 2017, a ‘Foundation Group’ was created in partnership with South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT) and Wye Valley NHS Trust (WVT). In 2018, George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust (GEH) joined the Group.

The model has proven benefits for all the partner organisations, and has been highlighted as best practice within national NHS guidance. In light of its success, the Group recognised the potential to extend their learning, and opportunities for sharing best practice between other organisations facing similar challenges. To support this, the Foundation Group created an Associate Membership option and in 2021 Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (WAHT) joined as an Associate Member. WAHT then became a full member in 2023.

All organisations in the Foundation Group face similar challenges and have a common strategic vision for how these can be solved. There are also numerous benefits for communities across Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, including the provision of a wider platform to share best practice and improving whole system patient pathways.

The trusts share a Chief Executive, Glen Burley and Chairman, Russell Hardy. However, the model retains the identity of each individual organisation, whilst strengthening the opportunities available to secure a sustainable future for local health services.