Here at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (STSFT) we are proud to serve nearly 500,000 residents in the North East of England. Our People Podcast shares the stories of our fantastic staff and explores behind the scenes in many different services and departments. 

Listen to every episode on Spotify using the links below or click here to visit our YouTube channel where you can find fully captioned versions of each instalment.

We are now also on Apple Podcast where you can listen to episodes from Season 1, 2 & 3 here.

As we have already discovered in this series of Our People Podcast, a series of teams work alongside each other to provide care at Sunderland Eye Infirmary.

The latest to be featured on the podcast is the research team, who carry out such valuable work to help us maintain the highest of standards.

Hear from Senior Research Nurse Karen Davidson, Research Nurse Michelle Young and Senior Ophthalmic Photographer Nicolle Teasdale as they discuss their roles, the work carried out by the team and the upcoming move to the new eye hospital in Sunderland.

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Rafaela Schelle is a Specialist Orthoptist and Orthoptic Department Manager at Sunderland Eye Infirmary.

She joined us for this episode of Our People Podcast to discuss all things orthoptics, and the transformational effect she expects the new eye hospital in Sunderland to make.

Rafaela also took us on a video tour of the department here.

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Changing Futures is a multi-million pound partnership aimed at reforming health and wellbeing for those most in need.

Our Alcohol Care Team here at the Trust plays a key role within Changing Futures.

Listen to Lead Alcohol Nurse Specialist Roisin Burdis to find out how the Alcohol Care Team help patients in our region.

Roisin is joined by host Rob Parnaby who is the Trust's former Directorate Manager in Gastroenterology and Metabolic Medicine.

They are also joined by Changing Futures Senior Responsible Officer Mark Smith and Touchpoint Operational Lead Victoria Johansen.

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Continuing our theme on the eye care provided by the Trust, we catch up with consultant optometrist and the head of optometry service at Sunderland Eye Infirmary, Chris Steele.

Chris talks about his career background and provides a guide to optometry, as well as a description of just what a difference the new Eye Hospital will make.

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Directorate Manager Fiona McKinley and Matron Carol Jobling carry out crucial roles at Sunderland Eye Infirmary.

Both have become synonymous with the facility and are hugely popular with patients and colleagues alike. As they explain in this episode of the podcast, they have had very different journeys to their current positions.

They are both looking forward to the opening of the new Eye Hospital in Sunderland, and have had an important input into how the new building will look and operate.

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Excitement is growing within South Tyneside & Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust ahead of the opening of the new Eye Hospital in Sunderland.

In this latest episode of Our People Podcast, we focus on the Eye Clinic Liaison Service, which is currently based at Sunderland Eye Infirmary.

Eye Clinic Liaison Officer Mary Hall speaks about just what a difference the new facility will make, and discusses the journey which has taken her to the role she is now in, alongside support worker Andrew Hall. An honorary mention also to Zoom, Mary's brilliant guide dog!

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Sunderland Eye Infirmary is the only 24/7 dedicated eye Accident and Emergency Unit in the North East.

In this episode, we delve into the emergency department at the hospital with department manager Gemma Sloanes and junior charge nurse Adam Taylor.

The pair discuss their careers so far and give us an insight into life at the Eye Infirmary.

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Lynn Bates is our Cataract Treatment Centre Manager at Sunderland Eye Infirmary.

Lynn talks us through what cataracts are and what happens when a patient comes to us to have them removed.

She also discusses how excited she is to move to the new Eye Hospital and how this will benefit patients needing cataract treatments.

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(Cataract Treatment Centre Manager, Lynn Bates)

Tina Morrell helped launch our plans for the new Eye Hospital in Sunderland city centre. 

Ahead of her retirement as Programme Manager she joined us to talk about why there is a need to replace Sunderland Eye Infirmary and what's involved in such a huge project.
 
This includes the thought process into every decision being made to ensure we continue to provide the best possible care.
 
Tina also talks about challenging obstacles that come with such a complex plan and ultimately how the new Eye Hospital will benefit patients.

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(Tina Morrell, Programme Manager)

Our People Podcast is back.

On Friday 19th April we hosted our second annual Staff Recognition Awards as South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust. 

The event was held at the Beacon of Light in Sunderland and it was even bigger and better than last year.

Listen to find out who the winners were.

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