ICB appoints Board-level champion to oversee progress on DennyReview health and inclusion

Lorraine Sunduza, interim Chief Executive of East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT), has been appointed Board champion to support the system response to the Denny Review by the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board.

The Denny Review into health inequalities was published in September last year after an extensive three-year study by Luton based pastor and author of the report, Reverend Lloyd Denny.

Commissioned by the NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board, the review sought to understand the impact health inequalities have on life expectancy and wellbeing in the aftermath of the pandemic and sets out a series of recommendations, which implemented would help tackle inequalities head on.

The review identified four areas for action:

• Communication, ensuring that the language that health and care organisations use is easy to understand and that translation services are widely available;
• Access, enabling people to access health and care services regardless of any physical or learning disabilities they might have;
• Representation, making sure that everyone, from all backgrounds, can shape local decisions, so that services take greater account of their needs
• Understanding others, recognising that people have different needs, using inclusive language and not making assumptions about minorities, whether people with disabilities, those who have experienced violence or abuse, or people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans.

As part of her role, Lorraine will work closely with senior leaders within the ICB, including Maria Wogan, Chief of System Assurance and Corporate Services and Senior Responsible Officer to the project.

Working at Board level across the system, Lorraine will act as a critical friend to support the ICB’s transformation team and partners, including the Institute of Healthcare Improvement, who are working with the ICB to address the findings of the review.

Speaking about her appointment, Lorraine Sunduza said:

“I’m delighted to take on this role as champion for the Denny Review response across Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, sharing our experience at ELFT of using Quality Improvement methodology to address health inequalities and improve access and outcomes for the populations we serve.

“The Denny Review heard from more than 2,000 local people who experienced health inequalities and we owe it to them to make effective and lasting change through the use of Quality Improvement, co-production and a population health approach.”

Dr Rima Makarem, chair of Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board, said:

“East London Foundation Trust has a proven track record in using quality improvement to address inequalities to improve healthcare outcomes and so I am delighted that Lorraine has agreed to take on this role as Board Champion to help us implement the findings of this important review.

“We have a real opportunity to make a generational change and act on the feedback we have heard from people who experience the greatest health inequalities.

“It is an exciting time to be working in health and social care in this area, as we change our way of working so that it meets the needs of local people, and I thank Lorraine for taking on this important role.”