The Trust hosted the Annual Members Meeting and Annual General Meeting (AMM and AGM) on Wednesday 20 September at the Earth Trust, Little Wittenham.

Trust Chair David Walker and Chief Executive Grant Macdonald welcomed stakeholders, thanking staff for their commitment and compassion. Both recognised the challenges the Trust has faced in the last 12 months and those upcoming.

Trust Chair David Walker highlighted key achievements, including the opening of the new Meadow Unit, a psychiatric intensive care unit, for young people, the Keystone hubs on the high streets, the Biomedical Research Centre £35 million funding and the difference Oxford Health’s dedicated staff make.

He commented:

“The recognition of our exceptional people. We have a scheme whereby monthly colleagues vote for their own colleagues who they think have gone above and beyond what might be expected of them and each month we recognise their service with a gesture, a small plaque and some money which they can use either on team activities or for themselves. And I have to say it’s a regular source of real joy for me and colleagues to see how far some people will go… We do have some saints amongst us”.

Grant crucially acknowledged a difficult time for the Trust whilst this progress was made. The year with the opportunity to emerge from the pandemic, returning to providing care with resilience and a prospect of continuous improvement was hindered by the Trust being subject to a national cyberattack – stopping staff being able to emerge fully from COVID, having an impact of the day-to-day work and the resources at the Trust.

Grant said:

“I want to focus in on the staff of Oxford Health. I want to say thank you. Thank you on behalf of the board.”

The audience enjoyed presentations from the Trust’s Early Intervention in Psychosis services, the Physical Disability Physiotherapy Services and the Trust’s Greener NHS campaign, followed by the annual finance and auditor’s reports and plenty of opportunity for Governors, members of the Foundation Trust and the public to put their questions to a panel of speakers.

The reports are available here.

The evening was packed with moments of real success in recent achievements and most of all a reflection of committed services and staff who support patients and provide excellent care, having an impact of the everyday lives of those in our communities.