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South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust is in the running for an impressive four prestigious patient safety awards. The Health Service Journal (HSJ) Patient Safety Awards celebrate health and social care providers who demonstrate a safety first culture and help drive improvements in culture and quality across the NHS.

A new initiative aims to improve the care and experience of older patients in hospital in South Tyneside and Sunderland and attract more nurses to work in this important field.

The vast majority of cancer patients in South Tyneside and Sunderland felt very positive about the care they received, according to a national survey. In the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2019, patients at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust rated their care 8.8 out of a possible 10.

It was a magical moment when stroke patient Michael Mouat discovered he was to become a great-grandfather for the first time via a video call with his family from his bed in Sunderland Royal Hospital. Mr Mouat is just one of the people who have benefited from South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust’s efforts to help patients stay connected with their loved ones during their hospital stay.

A healthcare worker at Sunderland Royal Hospital has been honoured through a national awards programme that recognises nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants who show exceptional care to patients and their families, and to their colleagues. Healthcare assistant Laura Surtees is now the proud holder of the Cavell Star Award after she was nominated by elderly care ward sister Rachael Craggs.

South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust has welcomed its positive results in the 2019 Adult Inpatient Survey. The survey looked at the experiences of patients discharged from NHS acute hospitals in England. South Tyneside District Hospital and Sunderland Royal Hospital had particularly high scores in the Respect and Dignity and Waiting List or Planned Admissions sections, with 9.1 out of a possible 10 in each case, and in the Emergency Department section, scoring 9.

South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust and Northumbria Police have issued a warning that anyone abusing or assaulting NHS staff risks arrest and being refused treatment. The stark message follows a recent incident when a patient allegedly coughed deliberately in the face of a doctor in the Emergency Department at Sunderland Royal Hospital. This was reported to Northumbria Police and led to an immediate arrest and court summons.

Speech and language therapists at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust have been working in innovative ways to adapt patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic, including introducing video consultations.

Health bosses in South Tyneside and Sunderland have issued a stark warning to local people as the health and care system prepares for further easing of the lockdown rules this weekend. People are being urged to continue following Government guidance around social distancing and regular handwashing, or risk further lives being lost to COVID-19.

Every preventable call out or visit to hospital due to alcohol slows down our response to another incident such as a stroke or a cardiac arrest. The NHS across the North East and North Cumbria is encouraging people to enjoy themselves responsibly as bars and pubs reopen on Saturday 4 July for the first time in three months.