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during the winter months to operationalise the Trust’s • Using the service line reporting and patient level
robust Winter Plan, which had been devised this costing information we have developed projects which
year to flex capacity during weeks in which seasonal will help Alder Hey achieve its operational priorities.
illnesses had been predicted to reach their peak, These projects assess the financial benefit and the
thereby minimising the number of cancelled elective patient impact together and management are able to
procedures. These operational processes contribute to prioritise the ideas with the greatest benefits first.
the Trust’s control environment and provide assurance
• Development of a workforce sustainability plan
to the Board that performance risks are understood
which further builds on the enhanced systems and
and fully mitigated where they are within the Trust’s
processes to support the compliance with national
locus of control.
rules regarding the management and control of
agency staff costs and framework agreements.
The Board’s assurance system is underpinned by the
work of the Trust’s internal auditors which is overseen • Extensive recruitment to clinical roles to reduce the
by the Audit Committee. Each year the Committee reliance on temporary staffing
agrees an audit programme which aims to focus on
areas of weakness or potential risk in internal control INFORMATION GOVERNANCE
and make recommendations to address deficits
where these are identified. The Audit Committee The Trust has an Information Governance Framework
retains a database of remedial actions agreed as that incorporates an on-going programme of work
a result of audits and these are followed up by the to ensure that data held is handled appropriately
Committee until completed. During the last 12 months and securely and any risks within the Information
the Committee chair has retained a strong focus on Governance remit are managed and controlled. This
the processes around the monitoring of internal audit incorporates completion of the annual Information
recommendations and the provision of regular reports Governance Toolkit assessment which is overseen
both from lead officers and internal audit, to ensure by the Information Governance Steering Group and
that any areas of limited assurance are followed up and is subject to internal and external review. The Trust’s
relevant action taken. compliance with the Toolkit has been assessed as 76%
for 2017/18, which is ‘satisfactory’. The annual internal
A range of specific initiatives to improve the use of audit review of fifteen IG toolkit elements resulted
resources were in place during 2017/18, including: in ‘significant assurance’. The Trust had no serious
incidents relating to Information Governance during the
• Continued development of the InfoFox Business
period. During the year, work has continued within the
Intelligence Self-service Portal which provides
Trust to prepare for the introduction of the General Data
interactive dashboards reporting finance, quality
Protection Regulations (GDPR) which will reform Data
and operational performance information. Reporting Protection legislation and will apply in the UK from 25th
enhanced and now includes real time daily activity
May 2018.
reporting and forward look with drill through to
outpatient and theatre productivity to ensure contract
Alder Hey was not affected by the cyber attack on
activity plans achieved and capacity utilised.
the NHS which took place in May 2017; however the
• Enhanced materials management stock control Trust continues to be vigilant and highly focused upon
continued in the new hospital with demonstrable safeguarding its information systems via robust cyber
reduction to stockholding. security measures. These measures were also subject
to testing via an internal audit during the year, which
• Procurement strategy agreed aimed at delivering
received a rating of ‘significant assurance.’
best in class purchasing, and service to our clinical
services at best price, including comprehensive ANNUAL QUALITY REPORT
Divisional spend analysis and dedicated Category
Manager support to encourage VFM ideas and The directors are required under the Health Act 2009
solutions from the shop floor.
and the National Health Service (Quality Accounts)
• Building on a first of its kind ‘Procurement Regulations 2010 (as amended) to prepare Quality
Symposium’ event in which Alder Hey brought Accounts for each financial year. NHS Improvement
together a roomful of its key suppliers to work on joint (in exercise of the powers conferred on Monitor) has
solutions to the challenges of securing best value for issued guidance to NHS foundation trust boards on
patients, a Top 20 Supplier Strategy was produced the form and content of annual Quality Reports which
and progressed. incorporate the above legal requirements in the NHS
Foundation Trust Annual Reporting Manual.
• Continued development of service line reporting and
patient level costing information with specialty teams
The Medical Director and Chief Nurse are jointly
resulting in increased clinical engagement in costing
responsible at Board level for leading the quality
and performance improvement.
agenda within the Trust, supported by the Director of

Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust 77 Annual Report & Accounts 2017/18