Published on: 1 April 2019

 South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust is today calling for people with a keen interest in making a positive contribution to  local health services to consider becoming governors of the new Trust.

 

From today, Monday 1 April, the new organisation has come into operation following the formal merger of South Tyneside NHS Foundation trust and City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust.

 

Bringing together a combined workforce of over 8,000 staff, the new Trust provides hospital services, as well as community health services in South Tyneside, Sunderland and Gateshead, covering a core population of around 430,000 people.   A range of highly specialist hospital services are also provided to over 800,000 people across the North East and beyond.

 

As the new Trust celebrates its first day, healthcare leaders are now starting an elections process to appoint a number of staff and public governors to form a new Council of Governors.  The Council of Governors will work closely with the Trust’s Board of Directors to help inform and influence strategic plans and ensure services can respond to the needs and wishes of local communities.

 

A total of 15 public governor vacancies are available as follows:

 

  • South Tyneside - 6 vacancies
  • Sunderland – 6 vacancies
  • Gateshead – 1 vacancy
  • Durham – 1 vacancy
  • Rest of North East – 1 vacancy
     

Work is also underway to appoint six staff governors for the new Trust as well as five appointed governors who will represent key stakeholders including local authorities, clinical commissioning groups and higher education providers.

 

Acting Director of Corporate Affairs for South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, Andrea Hetherington, said: “Our governors are extremely important - providing a link between the Trust and our patients, staff and local stakeholders.

 

“With the establishment of our new Trust, we are embarking upon a new era in local healthcare so this is a really exciting time to get involved in this way. I hope members of the public and staff will seize the opportunity to play their part in helping us to ensure that our patients continue to receive the best care possible now and in the years ahead.”

 

People must be over 16 years of age and be members of South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust to stand for election.   Roles of the governor include:

  • Representing the interests of the members of the Trust as a whole and the interests of the public
  • Holding the non-executive directors to account for the performance of the Board of Directors
  • Receiving the Trust’s annual accounts
  • Approving amendments to the Trust’s constitution
  • Representing the Council of Governors on sub-committees of the Board of Directors
     

Special awareness sessions have been arranged for those interested in standing for election to find out more about being a governor. These are as follows:

 

  • Tuesday, April 9th, 2019 – 10am-11am, Lecture Theatre, Education Centre, South Tyneside District Hospital, Harton Lane, South Shields, NE34 0PL
  • Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 - 4pm-5pm, Lecture Theatre, Education Centre, South Tyneside District Hospital, Harton Lane, South Shields, NE34 0PL
     
  • Wednesday, April 24th, 2019 - 3.30pm-4.30pm, Room L1-010 Washington Primary Care Centre, Princess Anne Park, Parkway, Washington, NE38 7QZ
     
  • Tuesday, April 30th, 2019 - 5.30pm-6.30pm, Lecture Theatre, Sunderland Royal Hospital, Kayll Road, Sunderland, SR2 9HP

 

As spaces are limited, please register by contacting the Trust’s Membership Office on 0191 2024121 or via email at membershipoffice.stft@stft.nhs.uk. There is also an information pack which is available through the Membership Office or online at:

https://www.stsft.nhs.uk/about-us/meet-our-governors.