Chief executive update

May 2026

Welcome to this monthly update of current issues, developments and plans at Birmingham Community Healthcare.

I would like to start by congratulating Paul Sherriff on his appointment as our Chief Officer for Primary Care. Paul has been working as part of our leadership team for some months and it is good to be able to welcome him formally as we seek to strengthen our partnership with GP colleagues.

 

Our Future Operating Model

In recent weeks we have been working with colleagues from across Team BCHC to develop our Future Operating Model to ensure that we are set up for success for the next five years, In particular the Future Operating Model aims to support the delivery on integrated care in neighbourhoods and localities, strengthen our focus on access experience and outcomes for patients, embed a culture based on our values and ensure we are as efficient as we can be.

Building on contributions from hundreds of colleagues we have develop a “blueprint” for a more locality-based organisation in future and will be working closely with our teams to transition to the new model over the months to come.

 

Safe, High-Quality Care

As I have mentioned for some time now, the most significant risk we face in terms of delivering safe, high-quality care remains long waiting times in our neurodevelopmental pathways where we have more than 4,200 children and young people waiting over two years.

In addition to the offer of additional support we have in place for families of children on waiting lists for autism and ADHD assessment , It is welcome further progress that Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) has now confirmed an initial investment of around £500,000 to help reduce the very longest waiting times plus an extra £300,000 to support mental health services in accepting the transfer of young people over the age of 16 years.

This is obviously welcome, and we continue to work with the ICB on a larger recurrent investment in the capacity we need to meet demand and reduce long waiting times, alongside progressing neurodevelpment pathway redesign to a “needs led” model.

 

Integrated Care

We continue our work to become a more digitally-enabled organisation, maintaining a firm focus on cybersecurity, rolling out improved WiFi coverage in the sites we own, and developing a business case to upgrade connectivity across community, mental health and general practice premises. 

In our work on neighbourhood health with partner through the Community Care Collaborative , all five Birmingham locality hubs are operational as of last year and there are now 13 integrated neighbourhood teams (INTs) “live” in Birmingham.

In keeping with the evolving neighbourhood health model across our city, I’m delighted to say that the refurbished Sutton Cottage Hospital is due to welcome clinical teams and patients at the beginning of June as an integrated hub with a focus on prevention and, in particular, frailty and the needs of older adults.

We have also continued the next phase of intermediate inpatient care development including opening refurbished facilities at Perry Tree Centre in Kingstanding, co-ordinated with the transfer of the inpatient intermediate care services that we currently operate at Good Hope Hospital as part of a more integrated approach between health and social care. 

Meanwhile, our first integrated neighbourhood team specifically for children and young people launched last month in Hodge Hill, with the aim of supporting children with long-term conditions to stay well in the community. And we are working with our Birmingham Forward Steps partners to develop the strongest possible bid after Birmingham City Council invited tenders for an integrated 0-19 years Healthy Child Programme , including health visiting, school nursing, the National Child Measurement Programme and aligned to Children’s Centres and Family Hubs .

 

As ever, a lot to update on. If you would like to contact me, please get in touch via richard.kirby@nhs.net and I’ll be happy to help.

Best wishes,

Richard