‘ Resplendent ’ is the Silver Command group which has met weekly, flexing to need, initially as an operational necessity to coordinate work in the first wave of COVID-19. Membership includes primary care, acute, community services, public health, local authorities, the hospice and commissioners.

The group has developed into a highly-integrated strategic group that is able to facilitate and enact decisions and change based on the collective understanding and insight of the complex system. Rather than a group of individuals, this group now works and delivers as a strong and effective team. The effect of which is alignment and effectiveness in the system in a time of significant uncertainty and ambiguity.

Some key reasons for the success of this team is their focus on relationship and respect of and for all members, the lack of hierarchy and a collective focus, which is COVID-19.

During periods since March 2020 where COVID-19 was retreating, the group has considered ‘wicked problems’ within the local system, spending time considering urgent care, care homes and end-of-life and palliative care.

From the hospice’s point of view, some of the key successes and contributions include:

• Offering to expand the catchment of the hospice rapid response service to provide additional overnight resource to district nursing.

• Seconding the hospice’s rehabilitation team to provide additional community capacity where this was challenged.

• Being able to access COVID-19 vaccinations quickly and promptly by accessing vaccination capacity from partners from community services.

• Understanding pressures elsewhere in the system and better understanding system trends, giving the hospice insight into when demands on services are likely to peak.

• Enabled the hospice to tailor service provision to meet emerging needs, such as establishing a coordinated response to bereavement support with other local providers.