Welcome, from Joe
Hello, everyone and welcome to our October edition of Healthy Futures.
We live in a beautiful part of the world, surrounded by stunning coastline and breathtaking moors; I feel privileged I can call this home. You can’t blame people for wanting to retire here, but we know our elderly population will significantly increase during the next five to 20 years. As an integrated care organisation, we’ve always been committed to ensuring our services reflect the needs of our population, and I’m so pleased that next month we’ll open The Harbour, our new centre of excellence at Newton Abbot Hospital to support older people who are living with frailty to get the care they need in the community.
Our new service offers a range of clinical services in one place to support people to remain independent and avoid an unnecessary hospital admission. We were so overwhelmed by the 650 people who helped choose its name, following a plea on Facebook and through our community groups – thank you to everyone who contributed. You can learn more about the service on page 3.
I was also deeply humbled to stand before our seagrass meadow and reflect on the lives it represents at an unveiling ceremony last month. The generosity of our organ donors and their families is truly extraordinary. This beautiful tribute is a testament to their courage and to the compassion within our community and I’m deeply grateful to everyone who helped make it possible, many of whom have been involved in this project for many years. You can read more on page 4.
Thank you for your continued support of our NHS, and my fantastic colleagues who work so hard for you and your loved ones.
Take care
Joe.