Clinical benefits

By merging we could create a single NHS organisation for the people of Brent, Ealing and Harrow that is responsible for all hospital and community health services. This would help us integrate services fully by removing organisational and geographical barriers.

How will integrated care benefit patients?

Fewer visits to hospital.

We will develop more one-stop clinics with a range of professionals from different disciplines, all working together in a coordinated system.

Shorter hospital stays.

Merging will allow us to develop more services that are focused on caring for patients in their own homes. This will mean more support in the community, leading to fewer unnecessary admissions to hospital.

No more duplication of tests and assessments.

As one organisation, we will be able to develop a single records system and set of clinical guidelines, making it easier for information to flow between professionals.

Continuity of care.

As care will be organised across our hospitals and communities in a more integrated way, it will involve professionals working together as extended teams.

A focus on long-term conditions.

Integrating community and acute care will help us focus on the whole needs of a patient over a longer period of time.

How will quality improve?

Patients will have the benefit of larger, multi-disciplinary teams, able to offer the highest standards of care.

There is clear evidence that teams who see more patients and perform more procedures in their areas of expertise get better results. Larger units mean clinical teams see at least the minimum number of patients necessary to keep their skills up to date and to achieve high-quality outcomes.

Better use of equipment and diagnostics.

The latest clinical equipment is expensive and highly specialised, and clinicians need extensive training to use it effectively. It also needs to be in use most of the time, to get value for money. By merging we would have a larger patient catchment area, helping us to keep pace with developments and justify investment in the newest technology.

More of a say in your services.

A merger would help us on the way to becoming an NHS Foundation Trust, by making us more financially and organisationally secure. Patients, local communities and staff have more of a say in the way foundation trusts and services are run, as they are membership organisations.

How will finances improve?

Merging clinical teams will help us reduce spending on overheads and management costs.

This will reduce waste and duplication.

Read our Stronger Together brochure and Outline Business Case for more on the benefits.