Over the last year the two organisations in our group – Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust and The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust – have been working closely together to consider the needs of our patients, people and populations and how we will ensure we are focussed on providing for those needs with one clear strategy. The following document is the result of months of research, deliberation, and collaboration to agree our joint strategic vision and the plans that underpin it to improve healthcare services, community health, and system sustainability from 2026 to 2031.
Across both Trusts we face similar operational and financial pressures. Demand is rising, patient needs are becoming more complex, and the financial environment requires new ways of working. From 1st April 2026 we started working formally in a group model including sharing a Chair, Chief Executive, Group Board and key senior leadership roles. This joint strategy builds on that, setting out a clear, unified response to the challenges ahead.
This Group Trust strategy is aligned directly to the national 10-year plan: Fit for the Future (2025), which sets out a long‑term direction for the NHS focused on shifting care into the community, accelerating digital transformation and prioritising prevention.
Strategy in Action
The government’s 10-year health plan for England, published in July 2025, sets out three major shifts for the NHS: moving care from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from treatment to prevention. Our strategy translates this national direction into local action. Our strategy is built upon the principle of getting the basics right, improving access, making services easier to navigate, using digital in a way that helps rather than excludes, and working better with community partners so care feels joined up and rooted in local neighbourhoods.
At the heart of this strategy is a commitment to improving population health. If we are to create a financially sustainable NHS, we must help our communities to stay well for longer. To illustrate our commitment please watch the following short videos which demonstrate how we will deliver our strategy:
Virtual Wards – supporting our patients
Virtual wards provide hospital-level care in patients’ homes. The service accelerates recovery, avoids hospital admissions, and enables early discharge. Patients are continuously supported through remote monitoring, daily consultant reviews, and clinical home visits.
Listen to mum Maria as she talks about the impact of the paediatric virtual ward:
Lung cancer screening – supporting our population
Targeted Lung Health Checks are part of the national Lung Cancer Screening programme designed to detect lung issues early. The service invites high-risk individuals for a quick telephone check-up, often followed by a free low-dose CT scan at convenient mobile units in supermarket car parks or community centres.
Listen to Paul’s story here:
Project Search – supporting our people
Project SEARCH is a 12-month supported internship program designed to help young people with learning disabilities and autism transition into paid work. The program allows interns to rotate through various hospital departments, gaining real-life work experience and developing independent employability skills.
The interns also complete level two courses in food hygiene and customer service, gaining valuable skills such as teamwork and customer service. The program is supported by The Learning Works, the employment and training arm of SWB NHS Trust, and aims to open doors for young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
Listen to Toby’s story here:
Last modified: 05 June 2026
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