South West

Find out more about the South West SPF.

The South West (SW) SPF was set up by employers, trade unions and NHS Employers' South engagement team, in 2014.

Priorities for 2022/23

COVID-19 – engagement: Regular, frequent engagement with the NHS England regional director sharing key information, the impact of the pandemic on the workforce and putting supportive measures in place, which enabled a consistent approach.
Just and learning culture: Sharing partnership approaches across the SW, leading co-designed workshops to influence progress in partnership and sharing examples of best practice with the neighbouring SPF in the South East. The Devon ICS has also shared their approach to just and learning culture through their partnership work on policy integration.
Future of HR and OD review: Engaged with and contributed to the review. The SW SPF will continue to work in partnership to support the achievement of recommendations.
Agile working: Through work with NHS Employers and the University of Sussex (AgiLab), the SW SPF is supporting a research project with AgiLab on the ‘Agile working needs of NHS staff with a lower socio-economic status’. A system level example of developing agile working principles in partnership has been shared as a best practice example at a workshop as part of the wider AgiLab research programme.

Trade union co-chair – Mike Cracknell, UNISON
Management co-chair – Steven Keith, Chief People Officer, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Management co-chair - Emma Wood, Chief People Officer, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust