It is good to see the country slowly recovering from the effects of the pandemic. It is early days and we need to proceed carefully. The situation could change again at any time as we have seen in other parts of the world. We also know that the coronavirus has affected some groups in our communities more than most. This is something we want to reflect on as we refresh the Trust’s strategy.

Our current strategy was adopted almost five years ago. We have made good progress in many areas highlighted then, so the time is right to review it and consider our focus going forward. We need to reflect on the impact of coronavirus on the communities we serve and the inequalities that have been highlighted, and how this will influence our refreshed strategy..

We will be seeking views from service users, governors, our staff, our partners and the wider public. I hope you will be able to join in these discussions and together plan with us our next steps.

I would like to warmly congratulate Paul Calaminus who has been appointed as ELFT’s Chief Executive. Paul has been at the helm for the last six months as interim CEO, and before that, led on our COVID pandemic response. The Trust’s Council of Governors approved the appointment by our Non-Executive Directors in March 2021. He inherits an exciting workload which will involve working with the new Integrated Care Systems (ICS) in both north east London and Luton and Bedfordshire; leading ELFT through the reforms promised in the latest Health White Paper and making our refreshed strategy a reality. I feel that in Paul, we are fortunate to have an able leader who will take the Trust forward in the next stage of its development.

Mark Lam