“This is one of the biggest mergers there has been in the NHS and we hope that it will deliver all the opportunities and potential benefits of integration to patients and staff that the trusts have suggested.
“It’s reassuring to hear that the new trust is focusing on business as usual because that is exactly what patients and frontline staff need and should be able to expect whatever changes are happening ‘upstairs’.
“With hospitals already under so much pressure, the immediate priority must be to maintain good quality patient care and not introduce changes which would risk destabilising established ways of working for busy staff or reduce their capacity.
“Further down the line, any changes aimed at standardising clinical practice and processes must also consider the needs and experiences of staff at all levels if they are to be implemented effectively.”
