WMAS Board Meeting Agenda – Wednesday 28th January 2026

To request a copy of the full Board Papers for this meeting, please email [email protected]

Membership

  • Prof. I Cumming – Non-Executive Director (Chairman) and voting member
  • Mr AC Marsh – Chief Executive Officer and voting member
  • Prof. A. Hopkins – Non-Executive Director (Deputy Chair) and voting member
  • Ms S Banks – Non-Executive Director and voting member
  • Ms C Beechey – Director of People and voting member
  • Mr A Brown – Service Transformation and Patient Safety Director
  • Mrs C Eyre – Director of Nursing and voting member
  • Mr M Fessal – Non-Executive Director and voting member
  • Mr N Hudson – Chief Operating Officer and voting member
  • Mrs J Jasper – Non-Executive Director and voting member
  • Mr M Khan – Non-Executive Director and voting member
  • Mr V Khashu – Strategy and Engagement Director
  • Mr M MacGregor – Communications Director
  • Mr S Nat – Non-Executive Director and voting member
  • Ms K Rutter – Director of Finance and voting member
  • Dr R Steyn – Medical Director and voting member

In attendance

  • Ms D Scott – Organisational Assurance Director
  • Ms K Freeman – Private Secretary, Office of the Chief Executive
  • Ms R Farrington – Staff Side Representative
  • Mr P. Higgins – Governance Director and Trust Secretary

All attendees to this meeting must be aware that access may be given to all minutes and associated documents under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Agenda

Item 1

Apologies and Chairman’s matters – lead by the Chair (Verbal)

Item 2

Declarations of Interest – lead by the Chair (Verbal)

To enable declarations to be made, of any conflict of interest members may have in relation to any matters contained within the agenda for this meeting

Item 3

Staff Survey Leads – Update – Director of People to introduce the item (verbal)

Local Staff Survey Leads will share their experience of the role they have been undertaking, outlining what different approaches and initiatives they have used to engage and get staff on board and contributing towards improvements in working practices, environments and teams.

They will advise on any feedback they have received, the impact they consider they have made and any future aims, intentions and plans of which they may require Board support.

Item 4

Board Minutes

  1. To agree as a correct report the Minutes of the meeting of the Board of Directors held on 10 December 2025 – lead by the Chair (Paper 01)
  2. Action taken as authorised by the Board at its meeting in December 2025 Medium Term Plan – Board Assurance Statement – lead by the Director of Finance (Papers 01 a to c).

The Medium Term Planning Guidance was issued by NHS England at the end of October 2025 setting out the expectations for three year operational plans.  There is a clear message that the Trust’s plans need to be triangulated both internally and are expected to align with local system and other partners plans.  This will form part of the assurance undertaken by ICBs and NHSE on each provider’s plans.

All plans alongside evidence of triangulation of plans through the integrated planning template and capital plans were required to be submitted to Black Country ICB  by Tuesday 9th December.  The Board Assurance Statement is required to be submitted to support the plans submitted and to ensure that the appropriate governance has been undertaken.

It is expected that feedback from NHSE will be received regarding the first plan submission in early January, with any amendments reflected in the final submission (early February).  A final Board Assurance Statement will also form part of the final submission.

The Board at its meeting on 10 December 2025 approved (Minute 12/25/09 (09b) refers) :

  1. The Board Assurance Statement subject to the minor amendments agreed at the meeting.
  2. Authorised the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer to sign and submit the signed document to Black Country ICB/NHSE as part of the initial plan submission.
  3. That the Board Assurance Statement supporting the first plan submission be attached to the Minutes submitted to the January 2025 meeting for endorsement.

In compliance with the Board resolution III above and in the spirit of transparency the Board Assurance Statement and supporting documentation is attached to the minutes of the meeting as Papers 01 a to c.

Item 5

Action Log and any matters arising not on the agenda for this meeting – lead by the Organisational Assurance Director (Paper 02)

To review the Board Action Log and any matters arising from the Minutes and not on the Agenda for this meeting.

Item 6

Board Assurance Framework – lead by the Director of Nursing / Head of Risk (Paper 03)

To review progress on ongoing actions arising from the Board Briefing held on 29th October 2025. Including – reporting back to the review of risks and a review of the Trust’s risk appetite.

Item 7

Chief Executive Officer Reports – lead by the CEO (Paper 04a)

  1. CEO report
Information:

Action
To receive and note the report

b. Manchester arena inquiry (MAI) recommendations and needs analysis register (paper 04b)

Information:

Action – The Board is requested to review the paper and risk assessment and consider the options below:

Do nothing and await national funding

Implement these actions by reducing budgets across the Trust and maintain a break even position in 2026/27

Implement these actions and overspend by £17m

c. Executive Scorecard – December 2025 (Paper 04d 1&2)

Information:


Action – To review and receive the Executive Scorecards

d. Board Papers App Replacement (Paper 04d)

Information:

Action –
That the agenda and reports for use at the Board meeting going forward will be circulated via Microsoft Teams (SharePoint) be endorsed.

To note that the contract for the Board Papers App (The platform by which papers were previously circulated to members of the Board) will lapse in March 2026.

To note that after consulting the Chairman and Non-Executive Directors it was requested that this matter be reported to the Board of Directors given that the proposal affected the administration of the agenda and papers submitted to the Board

e. Trust Charter of Expectations (reviewed due by February 2026) (Paper 04e)

Information:

Action –
The Board of Directors is requested to review the Trust Charter of Expectations and authorise its publication on the Trust’s Document Management System.

Item 8

Reports of the Director of Finance – lead by the Director of Finance (Paper 05a)

Finance and Capital Funding update

Information:

Action
To note the reported results for the first nine months of the 25/26 financial year for Revenue and Capital
To note the Service Line Reporting breakdown and the underlying financial position information included in the pack

Item 9

Combined Clinical Directors Quality Reports – lead by the Director of Nursing / The Medical Director / Service Transformation and Patient Safety Director (Paper 06a)

Information:

Action
To receive and note the integrated quality report

Designated Body Self-Assessment Improvement Framework (NHSE) Controlled Drugs (Paper 06b)

Information:

Action
Note the contents of this report and review the self-assessment

Item 10

Reports of the Chief Operating Officer – lead by the CEO (in the absence of the Chief Operating Officer) (Paper 07)

Information:

Action
To receive the report from the Chief Operating Officer

Item 11

Report of the Strategy and Engagement Director – lead by the Strategy and Engagement Director (Paper 08)

Information:

Action
For the Board to note the amended arrangements

Item 12

Board Committee Meeting Minutes and Chair’s Report

Audit Committee – lead by the Chair of the Audit Committee (Paper 09a & b)

Information:

To receive the Minutes of the Committee meeting held on 14 October 2025

To receive the report of the Chair of the Committee on salient matters discussed at the meeting held on 22 January 2026

People Committee – lead by the Chair of the Audit Committee (Paper 09a & b)

Information:

To receive the Minutes of the Committee meeting held on 6th October 2025

To receive the report of the Chair of the Committee on salient matters discussed at the meeting held on 8th December 2025

Finance and Performance Committee – lead by the Chair of the Financial Performance Committee (Paper 11 a & b)

Information:

To receive the Minutes of the Committee meeting held on 18th November 2025

To receive a report form the Chair of the Committee on the salient matters and risks considered at the meeting held on 19th January 2026

Quality Governance Committee – lead by the Chair of the Quality Governance Committee

Information:

To receive the Minutes of the Committee meeting held on 19th November 2025

To receive a report from the Chair of the Committee on the salient matters and risks considered at the meeting held on 21st January 2026

Item 13

Board Schedule of Business – led by the Chairman (Paper 13)

Item 14

Any Other Business (previously notified to the Trust Secretary)

Item 15

Date and Time of the Next Meeting

The next meeting will be on Wednesday 25 March 2026

At the conclusion of the formal Board Meeting

Board to Review the meeting and identify any new or increased risks that have arisen.

Please note:

Timings are appropriate

Preferred means of contact for Any Other Business Items is via email to Trust Secretary Phil Higgins – [email protected]

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