Key messages from Gateshead Health Leadership Forum
Phone line issues resolved
The technical issues affecting some phone lines were resolved on Thursday 18 June following testing with our provider. Thank you to everyone who supported this work across the Trust and QE Facilities and helped keep services running while the issue was investigated.
Complaints responses improving
There has been positive feedback about the quality of the responses being sent to patients following complaints, with recent feedback showing a clear improvement in the way concerns are being answered. This matters because every response is part of how we listen, learn and rebuild trust with patients and families. A well-written, thoughtful response helps people feel heard and shows that we take their experience seriously. Thank you and well done to everyone involved in this work.
CDC phase two: share your ideas
The Community Diagnostic Centre at the Metrocentre has already seen more than 102,000 patients since opening With phase two now on the horizon, staff are being asked to share ideas on which services and patient pathways could work well in a community setting. The project team will look at suggestions against demand, patient benefit, financial impact and wider health priorities.
Nobody knows how our services run better than the people working in them every day, so please take five minutes to complete the survey and help shape the future of the CDC. Read more and complete the survey on StaffZone.
Fit for the Future
Fit for the Future is one of the key aims in our Trust corporate strategy and was discussed at both the recent Team Brief and Gateshead Health Leadership Forum.
While we continue to face financial challenges, our focus remains on delivering safe, high-quality care for patients. Work is underway across the Trust to reduce waste, improve efficiency and make the best use of our resources. We can all make a difference, make a start by ensuring the right items go into the right waste bags
Amber heat-health alert issued for 24 and 25 June Please look after your own health and help us to keep our patients safe – visit StaffZone for advice and information
Key updates
• Director update from Joanna Clark – page 2
• Key updates you need to know, including:
▪ Meditech downtime
▪ Updated policies
▪ Five Bridges round abound closed – pages 3 and 4
• Feedback on the violence reduction strategy – page 5
• Staff notices, including:
▪ Help shape the future of our CDC
▪ You’re invited to a summer garden party
▪ Period products available from Occupational Health
▪ Find out more about the Patient Experience Team – pages 5 to 7
• Information Governance updates – page 7
• People updates including
▪ E-learning drop in sessions
▪ CPD funding opportunity for registrants
▪ Quarterly People Pulse survey – page 8
• Staff celebrations, including:
▪ Celebrate Pride with the Great North Healthcare Alliance
▪ Learning Disability Awareness week
▪ IPC Champions Day
▪ Celebrating our Estates and Facilities teams –pages 9 to 11
Director update from Joanna Clark, Director of Operations, Medicine, Community and Older Persons’ Mental Health
Welcome to my Gateshead Health News update. I wanted to use this update to give you a flavour of what has been happening across the Medicine, Community and Older Persons’ Mental Health Division. As we approach the one year anniversary of the NHS 10 year plan, we have been examining our progress against the plan and also reviewing at the wider operational improvements we have made.
In the Division, we have made significant progress with our waiting lists; 84% of patients are now being seen and treated within 18 weeks of referral. This achievement required considerable work across all teams to redesign services, improve system communication regarding appropriate referrals, and deliver higher levels of planned activity.
Thank you to everyone involved in these service redesigns. The work has noticeably improved care and outcomes for our patients, and teams are already building on this to ensure continued success through late 2026 and early 2027.
Our Emergency Department (ED) remains exceptionally busy, even for the summer months, with consistently higher attendances year-on-year. Despite the pressure, we are managing the activity incredibly well, and I want to extend my thanks to the frontline teams for their resilience. We continue to receive positive feedback from our patients, which is a testament to your hard work.
To support our capacity and transform care, we have appointed some new colleagues to replace some retirees who will be sorely missed. We have appointed Emre Erturk to Cardiology, replacing Dr Dermot Kearney, and Dr Christina Page has joined Care of the Elderly, replacing existing locum arrangements.
Alongside this recruitment, we are heavily invested in transformation work aimed at streamlining patient flow. As highlighted in recent NOF (National Oversight Framework) updates, addressing urgent and emergency care is paramount, and our ongoing redesigns in the ED are directly aligning with these national quality metrics.
We have already bolstered our Frailty virtual ward to support more patients at home. The Locality Teams and Rapid Response continue to see an increase in work. We have implemented different shift patterns to see more patients within two hours and our Locality teams in Community have been working with the Acute Diabetes team to implement changes for the patients they look after outside hospital.
The NHS 10-year plan’s core vision - shifting care from hospitals into the community and using digital innovation to free up staff time, continues to shape our thinking for the future.
June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate our diverse community of LGBTQ+ patients and staff. We are immensely proud of the inclusive, compassionate care you deliver every day. Thank you for making our hospitals and clinics a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment for all who walk through our doors. Many of our staff have worn Pride badges this month to visibly show their support for diversity within the Trust.
Thank you for your continued dedication and commitment to our patients
Key updates you need to know
Meditech downtime
The Laboratory Information System (Meditech) will be unavailable for three hours on Wednesday, 24 June, from 9:00pm until midnight (12:00am) whilst routine security patches are applied to servers to comply with NHS England requirements.
** Note this has been rescheduled from the original planned date of 17 June **
The laboratory is unable to send out electronic results to ICE during the downtime, please note that ICE ordering will be available as normal for essential bloods. Results will be made available through ICE once functionality is restored and all manual booking is completed. Can clinical areas please ensure their business processes are in place to cope with the outage and that any samples required for patient discharge are submitted with sufficient time to allow for processing before the start of downtime. Clinical areas should prepare by sending all routine samples earlier in the day prior to downtime; during the outage you should avoid where possible sending non-urgent samples to the lab. Any abnormal urgent results will be telephoned out by the lab. A member of pathology will be in attendance in ED during the downtime to provide pathology results to the clinical teams. The service of adding on tests to previous samples will be compromised and we would ask that a new sample is sent where possible.
During Meditech downtime Blood Transfusion will have no access to a patient's history and cannot issue blood electronically. Blood or Blood Products must only be requested during this period if the patient is clinically unable to wait until the system is restored. In these cases, the laboratory will require two new Group and Screen samples. Any patient who is haemorrhaging will receive 'Emergency' units.
Please note that any request deemed inappropriate by laboratory staff may be referred to a haematology consultant for authorisation.
If you have any queries or questions regarding the downtime, please contact pathology IT 0191 445 6504 ghnt.pathsupport@nhs.net
Updated policies
The following new and revised policies are now available on StaffZone, Policies and Procedures (sharepoint.com) covering the Group (Trust and QE Facilities)
• OP26 Trust Infant Feeding Policy v8.0
• OP91 Preceptorship Policy v4.0
• PP33 Revalidation and Appraisal Policy for Medical Staff v6.0
• PP41 Professional Registration Policy v10.0
• RM93 Group Water Safety Management Policy v2.0
Alcohol nurse availability
There will be no Alcohol nurses around on 23 and 25 June. The support team are still around and can be contacted via Voscera 'Alcohol care Team'. However, there will be no fibro scans or clinical advice.
Five Bridges roundabout closed for 25 days
The next phase of the Gateshead Highway demolition has begun, and may bring significant changes to your commute.
The Five Bridges roundabout (where Sunderland Road, Durham Road, Old Durham Road and High West Street meet) is now closed to all traffic until Thursday 16 July.
If you drive to work via Gateshead Centre or travel between Gateshead and Newcastle, please allow extra time or choose an alternative route. To help keep things moving, the council has introduced several temporary measures:
• Durham Road bus lane: Temporarily suspended to let all northbound traffic reach the town centre.
• Tesco car park (Trinity Square): Accessible via Lambton Street from the High Street/Oakwellgate junction, with exits open in both directions.
• Sunderland Road: A free S1 shuttle bus is running while Go North East services are diverted. Check their website for full details.
Pedestrian footbridges across the roundabout are also closed. You can cross Durham Road between St Edmunds Road and Whitehall Road, and a new pedestrian path opens on Sunderland Road from Wednesday 24 June.
Gateshead Council is asking people to consider car sharing, public transport, or cycling where possible. For full details, visit www.gateshead.gov.uk/flyover
Death of a colleague
It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of our colleague, Philip King.
Philip dedicated many years of service to the Trust, having joined in 1997. He began his career at Whinney House before moving to Trust Headquarters, and in 2010 he joined the QEF Facilities Administration Team, where he remained in his current role.
Through his work in the post room, Philip became a familiar and valued presence, delivering not only letters but also a friendly smile to colleagues across the organisation. He will be fondly remembered and greatly 0.missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing and working with him.
We recognise that news of this nature can be upsetting. Support is available through Occupational Health and Wellbeing Services, as well as through line managers and People and OD. Additional support resources can be accessed via the Mental Wellbeing page on the NHS Gateshead Health website.
Philip will be greatly missed, and our heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends, and all those whose lives he touched. A book of condolences will be available in the Chapel for anyone who wishes to share their thoughts and memories.
Feedback on the violence reduction strategy
We need your input on the Trust’s draft Violence Reduction Strategy 2026 to 2029.
This three-year plan sets out how we will prevent and reduce violence and aggression against staff, patients, and visitors. It focuses on key areas like early intervention, consistent reporting, workforce support, and targeted action in high-risk areas.
We need to know if this plan reflects your daily reality. Does it strike the right balance between zero tolerance and compassionate care? Is it realistic and clear about what you should expect?
Most importantly: does this strategy set out the right priorities to improve staff safety and strengthen how we respond and learn?
Please take a few minutes to review the draft strategy and share your views via email with Kate Clark kate.clark12@nhs.net.
Team Brief
This month’s Team Brief included updates on the Trust’s NHS Oversight Framework position, workforce investment, staff wellbeing, partnership working and the financial position. The discussion reinforced our focus on improving performance, supporting colleagues, investing in patient safety and working with partners to deliver high-quality care for our communities.
Watch the Team Brief recording
Staff notices
Help shape the future of our CDC
Our Metrocentre Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) has been a massive success, seeing over 102,000 patients since opening and delivering care closer to home.
With the phase 2 expansion underway, we have an opportunity to design the new space around what our local population needs. We want to hear from you about hospital services or patient pathways that could move into a community setting or benefit from new ways of working within the CDC
Nobody knows our services better than the teams running them. Please take five minutes to fill out our quick survey and help us get phase 2 right for Gateshead.
Every idea from our staff will be evaluated against patient need, improving access, financial impact, and our neighbourhood health priorities. Read more on StaffZone
Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit (EPAU) relocation
Following valuable feedback from our patients and staff, our early pregnancy outpatient service has relocated from its previous location in Women's Health Clinic, to a dedicated Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit (EPAU). The new unit is situated in the Peter Smith Surgery Centre, on Floor 1, adjacent to our Gynaecology Ward (Ward 26). This service is currently available Tuesday to Friday, 9:00am until 5:00pm.
We have invested in a purpose-built Unit that has been developed and designed to meet the needs of patients experiencing complications in early pregnancy.
The unit provides a supportive and calming environment for women to access care during what is often an incredibly difficult and anxious time. This environment will improve the quality of the care and service being provided, contributing to our aim to be a centre of excellence for women’s health
Thank you to all of the teams who worked hard together to facilitate this transition, to ensure we are constantly improving our services and care for patients and their families during early pregnancy
Read the latest Fraud Insights
Read the latest newsletter from AuditOne, the Trust's counter fraud provider Fraud Insights - North-East man sentenced for NHS fraud .pdf It is estimated that the NHS loses over £1.3 billion per year, or roughly £3.6 million per day to fraud. Find out what we are doing to combat it and how you can help on StaffZone
You’re invited to a summer garden party
The Inpatient Pharmacy Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) group and staff networks are hosting a summer garden party, and everyone is invited.
Pop along to the small pharmacy garden, located just behind the inpatient pharmacy near breast screening, on Friday 17 July between midday (12:00pm) and 2:00pm
This event is open to all colleagues. It is a fantastic opportunity to step away from your desk, connect with different teams, and enjoy some networking over a sunny lunch. We would love to see as many different staff groups there as possible, so please come along, bring your lunch, and say hello!
Period products available from Occupational Health
Did you know that you can collect a bundle of period products to take back to your team/department from the Occupational Health department? And that you can return to request more as and when supplies run down?
Those who collect will be given a paper bag full of different types of product to leave in a suitable area within their department.
This initiative was made possible by the support of Gateshead Health Charity, who provided funding for the staff wellbeing project late in 2025. If you have any queries, please just drop an email to ghnt.hwb@nhs.net.
Find out more about the Patient Experience Team
Join a series of events to find out more about the Patient Experience Team and how it works to support you This ranges from the importance of feedback of all types and how it is utilised/shared to what our volunteers do to help the hospital. These promotion events will run for one week each month (schedule below) and will be held opposite the Patient Experience Hub on level 2 of the Orange Zone. Pop along and ask us about that month’s topic!
w/c 29 June: Patient Experience Overview
w/c 27 July: Feedback: Concerns, comments, compliments and complaints
w/c 24 August: Carers Passport
w/c 21 September: Volunteers Service
w/c 26 October: 15 steps challenge
w/c 23 November: Surveys and Friends and Family Test
w/c 25 January: Interpreting and Translation
w/c 22 February: Patient Information Leaflets and Health Literacy
w/c 22 March: Hidden Disability Information
Writing for health literacy: beyond the basics
We have arranged some training for staff who write information for patients. The training will be on:
• Wednesday 1 of July at 12:30pm to 4:00pm in Room 4, Education Centre.
• Or: Thursday 1st of October at 9:00am to 12:30pm in Room 4, Education Centre.
This intensive half-day course builds on the Regional Health Literacy Team's basic training courses: Health literacy: what it is and why it matters, and Health literacy: how to write simply
It is aimed at people who write information for the public as part of their jobs, especially information that is related to things that affect people's health and wellbeing. It is for people who want to make that information as easy as possible to understand and use. Clear health information is a vital tool for reducing health inequalities, ensuring everyone has the same chance to look after themselves. When we make our writing accessible, we help level the playing field so that no one is left behind just because a leaflet or form was too complicated to understand.
We will go into detail about how you can write more simply and clearly. We will also include exercises to help you put the lessons into practice.
The topics we will cover include:
• Organisation and structure
• Language and word choice
• Formatting, appearance, and finer details
• Readability measures
If you would like to attend the training or have any questions, please contact the Patient Experience Team at ghnt.involvement@nhs.net.
Information Governance
Email recipients - check, pause and check again
The Information Governance Team has identified that information being sent to the wrong recipient, both to patients and within internal communications, remains a common trend in reported incidents, making up 35% of IG-related incidents in the last financial year.
To help reduce the risk of these preventable breaches, we recommend the following key messages are shared across all departments:
Before sending any information, please: Check recipient details carefully
• Confirm the correct name, email address, and/or postal address
• Be cautious when using autofill and watch out for similar names
• Where possible, use window envelopes and pre-populated address details to keep information correctly matched and reduce mailing errors
Check attachments and content
• Review all attachments to ensure they are correct
• Confirm the information relates to the intended recipient
• Check for any documents or paperwork relating to a different patient
Pause before sending
• Take a moment to carry out a final review this can prevent most errors
• Consider using an email delay function to allow time for review
People updates
CPD funding opportunity for registrants
We’ve received notification that Gateshead Health has secured £539,000 of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) funding from NHSE, offering a fantastic opportunity to support the career development of our registered workforce (Nursing Associates, Nurses, Midwives and Allied Health Professionals). Work is already underway with divisions to prioritise and allocate funding to key development areas. If you are a registrant and have an identified development need agreed through your appraisal and discussed with your line manager, please ensure this is submitted via the Learning Needs Analysis (LNA) form for consideration as part of the 2026/27 funding allocation.
Quarterly People Pulse survey
The people pulse survey will open on 1 July. Don’t miss your opportunity to share your views about your working experience. Your answers will be used to shape a range of support, both locally and nationally, for all our NHS people. Look out for your invitation by email and in future communications.
E-learning drop in sessions
During May and June the Learning and Development team is running e-learning drop-in sessions. These sessions will give you:
• Access to a Trust PC
• A quiet space to complete your learning
• Support on hand if you need it.
Upcoming dates and times are:
August to October 2026
• Thursday 13 August | 09:00–12:00
• Thursday 27 August | 09:00–12:00
• Friday 11 September | 09:00–12:00
• Tuesday 22 September | 13:00–16:00
• Wednesday 07 October | 09:00–12:00
• Friday 23 October | 09:00–12:00
November to December 2026
• Wednesday 04 November | 09:00–12:00
• Thursday 19 November | 09:00–12:00
• Thursday 04 December | 09:00–12:00
• Tuesday 15 December | 09:00–12:00
All of the drop-ins will be in the QE Facilities core skills training room in the QE Hospital. You don’t need to book or attend for the whole session, just drop in.
Staff Celebrations
Celebrate Pride with the Great North Healthcare Alliance
You are invited to celebrate Newcastle Pride with a free breakfast at the RVI, hosted by Newcastle Hospitals Charity and Newcastle Pride Network. Join colleagues, friends, and family for a morning of community and connection as we get ready for the festivities.
When: Saturday 25 July 9:30am to 11:30am Where: Piano Room, RVI
Places for this event are limited. To secure your space, please email nuth.pridenetwork@nhs.net
Monthly “You're a Star Award” winner for May
Congratulations to Jen Parker (Clinical Pharmacy Technician, CSS), the May winner of the You’re a Star Award Jen was recognised by Claire Davies, who said:
“Jen noticed a person with T1DM in d/c lounge hadn't had their usual insulin and had high blood glucose levels. She flagged this promptly to the diabetes team who were able to escalate treatment and get the individual moved to an appropriate care location!"
Jen was presented with her award this week with a visit from Dr Gerry Morrow, Non Executive Director and Vice Chair. Congratulations also go to our runners-up, Rebecca Johnson (Specialist radiographer - MRI, CSS) and Charlotte Gascoigne (District Nurse - East Locality, Medicine & Community), for their fantastic contributions.
Thank you all for making a difference and inspiring others across the Trust. Read all the latest Star Shoutouts and submit your own shoutout by visiting the STAR Shoutout Board Learning Disability Awareness week
This year’s theme for Learning Disabilities 2026 these is "Do you see me?" which is all about people with a learning disability being seem, heard and valued.
Departments across the trust have promoting this campaign in their areas, including PODS, district nursing, ward 9, Colposcopy and Children's services.
Thank you to those who took part, we loved them all your prizes will be delivered to your work area.
For more information on Learning Disability please see our SharePoint page Learning Disability Liaison Nursing Team
IPC Champions Day – a great success
Thank you to everyone who attended the IPC Champions Day on 18 June 2026. It was fantastic to see such a strong turnout, with 23 staff members joining from across the Trust, reflecting the ongoing commitment to infection prevention and control, which is one of the key components of delivering safe high quality care.
Spotlight on the Infection Risk Assessment Tool
There was informative session introducing the new Infection Risk Assessment tool, providing clear guidance on how to complete it correctly. Encouragingly, the tool is already making a positive impact across the Trust, including:
• Increased screening compliance for MRSA and CPE
• Improved submission of stool specimens
• Enhanced use of appropriate precautions for patient management
• Greater visibility of infection risks through the updated Nervecentre infection dashboard These improvements are helping teams identify and manage infection risks more effectively.
Focus on Clostridium difficile (C. diff)
We had a detailed and insightful presentation on Clostridium difficile and the management of patients with diarrhoea. This topic is particularly timely given the recent rise in C. diff cases locally and across the region. The session emphasised:
• Early recognition of symptoms
• Best practice in patient management
• Protecting at-risk patient groups
Practical Session with PDI
We were pleased to welcome PDI to the Trust. We are currently trialling some of their cleaning wipes in our clinical areas. They delivered a practical session on the use of cleaning wipes. The session covered:
• Selecting the correct wipe for different equipment and infection risks
• Demonstrations of effective cleaning techniques, including commodes and hard surfaces
PDI also kindly provided lunch, which was greatly appreciated by all attendees.
Interactive Learning and Quiz
The day concluded with a fun and engaging interactive digital quiz on C. Diff Reinforcing the key learning points from the sessions. IPC Champions competed to answer questions quickly and accurately, with a few sweet treats awarded to the winners!
The IPC Champions Day was a valuable and engaging event, strengthening knowledge, encouraging best practice, and supporting safer patient care across the Trust. Thank you again to everyone who attended and contributed to making the day such a success.
Celebrating our Estates and Facilities teams
On Wednesday 17 June, we came together to celebrate our Estates and Facilities (E&F) colleagues at QEF with a day dedicated to recognising their hard work and achievements.
Our E&F teams play a vital role in supporting clinical teams and services across the Trust, helping us deliver outstanding care to our patients every day. The celebrations included a selection of treats generously donated by our catering supplier, Brakes Group Ltd, and a visit from Fay Lane of NHS England, who had the opportunity to see first-hand the breadth and variety of E&F roles and meet our dedicated teams in action.
Our management team also stepped in to support the catering team during lunch service. John Knight joined the food service team, Jason Riddell took to the tills, and Tony Pratt served as barista for the day.
The celebrations concluded with an awards ceremony attended by our new Managing Director, Damon Kent, and Chair, Maggie Pavlou. Mark Dryden and Sophie Newton were recognised for their outstanding contributions and commitment in their respective roles.
A huge thank you to everyone who took part and helped make the day such a success.
This newsletter is sent every two weeks, so please share any information at least two weeks in advance. The deadline for submissions is midday on the Wednesday before publication.
Please keep sharing items for inclusion. Follow the checklist before submitting and send articles to ghnt.comms@nhs.net