Support for NHS Finance Executive

The Chief Finance Officer (CFO) of NHS England asked us to support a couple of Trusts that had challenging financial situations.  The Executive team at Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust was under sustained pressure.  The leadership burden needed to be reduced and they needed additional capacity to be able to change.

It was clear from the outset that long-term improvement was only possible if the finance community took ownership.  So, our role was to provide temporary, focused support to stabilise and strengthen financial leadership throughout the Trust.

Our work included:

• acting as a ‘critical friend’ to the finance leaders, providing practical help, independent challenge and strategic capacity
• using the CFO’s influence to complete projects where necessary
• changing the Trust’s view of functional support
• helping change the functional mindset within finance.

We focused on people, processes and costs to build confidence, capability, and focus.  This was fundamental to creating a new environment within the function after the Covid-19 pandemic and the structural changes at the Trust.

The high-impact areas we worked on included: improving recruitment and roster controls, streamlining procedures for payroll and stock, and standardising governance and financial accountability throughout the Trust.  We worked alongside the existing teams, engaging key parts of the system while the rest continued to function.  It was essential for us to relieve pressure without causing disruption, working in real time and making adjustments as the system responded.

We developed better scenario planning and forecasting to help the organisation anticipate risks.  By improving accountability, local finance teams were capable and confident enough to lead and tackle challenges, with clear escalation routes for problems that could not be resolved locally.  With improved focus and clearer reporting lines, it relieved pressure on the CFO and the Executive team while maintaining their confidence.

These changes helped Mid and South Essex build a more resilient and self-sufficient finance function, which is better equipped to handle emerging and future challenges.

Dawn Scrafield, Chief Finance Officer of Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“It was a breath of fresh air working with Collinson Grant. Their insight into public sector challenges was invaluable, and particularly able to draw on experience of different sectors which allowed fresh perspective. The support I received was value adding to the team as we were able to target the benefits to improve delivery and support development. To have a ‘critical friend’ of this nature was well timed and I would recommend to forming teams navigating challenging times!”

Phil Ross of Collinson Grant and Dawn Scrafield, Chief Finance Officer of Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, at Southend Hospital