Finance team are future-focused

UHNM’s finance team have been recognised for their skill and dedication. The team recently underwent an assessment as part of a national finance accreditation programme and were successful in being awarded the ‘Future-Focused Finance Towards Excellence Accreditation Level 1’.  Future-Focused Finance (FFF) is a national programme designed at engaging everyone in improving NHS Finance to support the delivery of quality services for patients.

Mark Oldham, Chief Financial Officer, said: “The accreditation scheme recognises organisations that have the very best finance skills, development culture and practices in place, so it’s really encouraging that we have been able to achieve this award at UHNM. I am very proud of the team and a special thank you goes to all of the staff who helped to pull the evidence together and support the application process. The accreditation focuses on demonstrating that we have robust plans and processes in place across a range of standards including infrastructure, personal and professional development, and financial controls. All of these measures are incredibly important as ultimately they all have an impact on patient care and of course on our staff too. Our team is always looking to enhance the service we provide and so we are now looking ahead to achieving Level 2, an organisation-wide assessment of whether plans and processes are being put into use, and how the finance function supports the organisation in moving forward.”

The FFF programme consists of national and regional events, networks, resources and talent development programmes – all designed to advance the understanding of finance in the NHS. There are three levels to the accreditation scheme, with each level designed to reflect the continuous development of an organisation’s finance function and recognising the highest standards of financial competence and commitment to skills development.