A FORMER GP and NHS chief has said the opportunity to join North Cumbria Integrated Care (NCIC) was too good to pass-up during a time of change and improvement in the trust.
Appointed in April, Doctor Stephen Singleton brings a wealth of experience to the role having served as a GP in his hometown of Kirkbride for 10 years before serving as Director of Public Health in Northumberland in 1994 before being elevated to the Chief Executive role from 2000.
He also oversaw the whole of the North East at the Strategic Health Authority in the early 2000s.
Dr Singleton told Newsquest Cumbria that he is joining NCIC at a time of positive change, it came as the trust unveiled its new Community Diagnostic Centre in Workington.
He said: "It's well known that people have trouble accessing some of our services, our waiting lists have been too long but it's great news that we've been able to bring the long waiters down a lot in the last 12 months, we finished ahead of plan at the end of March and we've got a very ambitions plan for this year and of course, the diagnostic centre here has been part of us becoming one of the fastest improving trusts in the country.
"That's really great news and it's great news because access to diagnostics is how our patients access services - if you're waiting even for a diagnosis, you certainly can't start your treatment."
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Dr Singleton said: "We've got a lot of people who live difficult lives with difficult problems and we don't want to keep them waiting when they've got something that needs sorting out."
Trust ambitions
Giving an insight into where the leadership of NCIC wants to take the trust, Dr Singleton said: "We're very focussed on doing the basics right, getting the waiting lists down, getting access for people as quickly as possible, focussing on what people need and then progressing from there."
Workington's CDC is one of 165 similar facilities across the country which provide MRI, CT scans and ultrasounds within communities, reducing the pressure on acute sites such as West Cumberland Hospital.
Dr Singleton said that NHS facilities in neighbourhoods means that "people can access it easily, the service isn't mixed-up with emergencies, the efficiency of this place is fantastic."
Although the official opening took place on Thursday, the CDC has been providing services since June, delivering over 30,000 appointments.
Next steps
NCIC's board of directors approved a slate of investments at its meeting in April, releasing funding to fully staff Carlisle's new Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC); recruit additional consultants, establish Hospital at Home hubs and expand Same Day Emergency Care units.
Dr Singleton said: "What's really important is, not just being able to recruit people but that they want to stay here in Cumbria and build their careers here, one of the things the board is very interested in is wrapping around all our staff, the things that will make them want to stay and really forge a career, a whole career, here in Cumbria.
"We want people to work in a good environment, we want them to work in a way which enables them to pursue their internal interests as well, some of our consultants are very interested in education and we've got our partnership with the new medical school to enable some of that."
Dr Singleton will attend his first board meeting on Wednesday May 27.
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