Published on: 3 September 2019
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust is inviting patients, staff and the public to the Annual Members’ Meeting on Thursday, September 12th.
The meeting, from 3pm to 5pm, at the Clarion Hotel, Boldon, will be an opportunity to reflect on a busy and challenging 2018/19 for South Tyneside and City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trusts, at the end of which, on April 1st, they merged to become a single organisation.
There will be a special presentation on the changes to stroke services, as part of Phase One of the Path to Excellence programme*, which are saving and improving lives.
All acute inpatient stroke care was centralised at Sunderland Royal Hospital in
December 2016 due to the vulnerability of the stroke service. Having access to seven-day specialist stroke services means more patients across South Tyneside and Sunderland are now being seen far quicker by medical and nursing staff, leading to lifesaving treatment and to them being able to start rehabilitation sooner.
The major improvements in clinical outcomes for patients are demonstrated in Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP) data. Overall, the specialist acute stroke inpatient service across South Tyneside and Sunderland is now rated at level B and very close to level A – the very highest level available in the NHS. Prior to the changes, stroke services in South Tyneside were rated at level E and in Sunderland level D.
Chief Executive Ken Bremner MBE will present a review of the year at the Annual Members’ Meeting and will outline the Trust’s priorities and challenges for the year ahead.
Mr Bremner said: “We have been through a sustained period of change leading up to the creation of our new Trust over the past 12 months and our teams have continued to keep an absolute focus on providing the highest quality of safe patient care.
“Despite the sustained pressures and challenges facing the NHS and record numbers of people using our services, our performance in many areas has been consistently high. It is also fantastic to see our stroke services now being rated amongst the best in the NHS and recognise the much improved clinical outcomes we are now achieving for people across South Tyneside and Sunderland who have suffered a stroke.
“As we reflect on such a landmark year, I would like to thank our fantastic workforce of over 8,000 people, who work in our hospitals and in the community, for their unwavering efforts to ensure our patients have access to timely, high quality services at all times. I am proud to lead this fantastic organisation and look forward to our future together as South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust.”
Mr Bremner added: “One of our main priorities in the year ahead will be to progress with Phase Two of Path to Excellence to ensure we are prepared for the future and can continue to provide safe care of the highest quality through outstanding services.”
The Annual Members’ Meeting, at which the Annual Report and Accounts for South Tyneside and City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trusts will be presented, will be on Thursday, September 12th, 3pm to 5pm, at the Clarion Hotel, Boldon. The event is open to Trust members, staff and the public. Places are free but limited. To avoid disappointment and to help planning for the event, please register before 5th September by emailing membershipoffice.stft@stft.nhs.uk or telephone 0191 202 4121.
