Published on: 19 September 2025
People in South Tyneside, Sunderland and beyond can now click and ‘Connect’ with the Trust that runs their healthcare services, thanks to a new online community which welcomes views.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (STSFT) has launched ‘Connect’, a new safe online space where people can get actively involved in shaping the future of local NHS services.
STSFT runs district nursing and a range of other community healthcare services across South Tyneside, Sunderland and parts of Gateshead. It has NHS facilities in Jarrow, Houghton, Washington and Durham. It also runs services from South Tyneside District Hospital and Sunderland Royal Hospital as well as Sunderland Eye Infirmary and St Benedict’s Hospice.
The Trust’s new online community, ‘Connect’, gives people the chance to have their say through short polls, surveys and discussions about things that matter to them. They can share their experiences, add ideas and suggest how to improve care.
People who sign up to become members of Connect can give their views on any proposed improvements, plans and campaigns, with their views shared with the local NHS teams in charge of developing those projects.
Connect is free to join and open to anyone who lives in South Tyneside, Sunderland, and other parts of the region if they access the Trust’s services.
Liz Dawson is the Trust’s Director of Communications and Involvement.
She said:
"There is so much commentary and feedback about the NHS online every day and we wanted to give people an easy way to connect with us, directly, as their local NHS Trust.
"Our new Connect online community gives people a safe, welcoming and constructive space to get involved, give their views but also know that we will listen and act upon what they say. It will make it easy to share feedback with us and ask us any questions.
"We want local people to become much more involved in how we develop and run our services here at the Trust. We know that we don’t always get things right and the more we can hear about real life experiences, the more we can do to improve."
Liz Dawson, the Trust’s Director of Communications and Involvement, with the Connect community on screen.
Over the autumn months, the Trust will also be starting a programme of work to reach out into local communities across South Tyneside, Sunderland and other parts of the region, to make sure it hears from people from all areas and backgrounds.
Working with patient groups, voluntary and community sector organisations and other health and care partners, STSFT is putting patient and public involvement at the forefront of its future vision for excellence.
Kelly Craggs is Head of Quality and Patient Experience at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust.
She said:
"Having regular insights and perspectives from a patient and carer point of view is essential so that we can continuously adapt, evolve and improve our services.
"Connect is a fantastic new online tool but we know that not everyone has access to the internet or may not feel confident using technology.
"That’s why we have lots of other ways to feedback to us too. From face-to-face patient groups, discussions and surveys, to talking to people in our hospital wards and departments about their experience, our aim is create as full a picture of feedback as possible."
Kelly Craggs is Head of Quality and Patient Experience at STSFT.
For more information about ‘Connect’ and to sign up to be part of the new online community, visit: Join our Online Community
In exchange for their time and views, members are entered into a monthly prize draw supported by partners Sunderland Bid and Explain, which hosts the platform.
The online community is a pilot funded through the STS Charity to further improve how the Trust involves patients and local people in developing its services.
