North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust

20/06/2026

Our brilliant community oral health team will be in Hartlepool, parked up in the MELISSA bus near the community hub in York Road on Thursday 25 June, 9.30am to 2pm, to offer free advice to passers-by.

Pop into the bus and find out more about why good oral health means more than just having clean teeth - it means having a mouth that is comfortable, functional and free from disease.

Keeping your mouth healthy can support your overall wellbeing and reduce the risk of complications linked to other conditions. By taking care of your teeth and gums, you are helping to protect your health now and in the years ahead.

Come and say hello!

You can also get some tips online: www.dentalhealth.org/better-oral-health

19/06/2026

A kind comment for ward 42 this . 💙

Remember, our patient experience team is here to listen to any stories or comments you have. If you have a story you would like to share with our patient experience team, please get in touch via [email protected] or 01642 624719.

19/06/2026

The University Hospitals Tees Staff Health & Wellbeing Festival 2026! 🎉

This week, we brought together a massive range of local charities, support groups, businesses, and internal teams to look after our incredible staff with exclusive offers and expert advice.

From professional guidance to daily perks, our interactive stands covered it all:

💰 Financial and legal guidance
🎗️ Cancer support networks
🧠 Su***de prevention initiatives
🚗 Vehicle health checks
🎬 Leisure and cinema discounts

💬 Marie Weedall, a health care assistant on the post anaesthetic care unit said:

“Looking after staff health and well-being is crucial; it helps to boost morale, improves teamwork, and reduces sickness.

"I visited several stalls, including smoking cessation, well-being advisors, and the fantastic legacy nurses... It was fantastic to see so many teams in one place.”

Our specialist internal teams were also out in full force to empower staff to support their own wellbeing—and that of their patients:

🧠 Psychology training
🦷 Oral Health promotion
📚 Library services
🚭Smoking cessation

To read more, visit: www.nth.nhs.uk/news/nhs-hospital-group-expands-annual-health-and-wellbeing-festival-to-support-staff/

19/06/2026

Our recent fibroscan initiative has continued to go from strength to strength, with this week’s dedicated staff scanning day proving incredibly popular and giving more than 100 colleagues the chance to check in on their liver health.

Following the success of previous drop in and appointment based clinics for staff, demand has only grown. Running alongside the our annual staff health and wellbeing festival, the liver specialist team held a full day drop in clinic at University Hospital of North Tees, where they carried out over 150 fibroscans for staff in a single day.

A fibroscan is a quick, painless and non invasive test that helps assess how healthy the liver is. It measures liver stiffness, which can indicate scarring, and also checks for fat levels within the liver. The test takes only a few minutes and can offer valuable early insight into potential liver problems.

Hospital porter Jo Benson, who is pictured preparing for her scan with the team, said: “I was amazed at how easy and quick the scan was. It was great to have the opportunity to check my liver is healthy, and being able to do this whilst at work rather than having to arrange a separate appointment through the GP is fantastic. I was pleased my liver was in tip top shape!”

The liver is one of the body’s hardest working organs, playing a vital role in digesting food, storing energy, processing vitamins and nutrients, fighting infection, removing toxins and supporting healing. Regular checks can help spot issues early, long before symptoms appear.

Find out more about our liver services: www.nth.nhs.uk/services/liver-services

18/06/2026

Join our latest Tees Voices podcast as the neonatal multidisciplinary team share insight into their specialist roles and career pathways within neonatal care.

The team discuss how allied health professionals (AHPs) and psychologists work together to support premature and unwell babies, focusing on early development, neuroplasticity, and family wellbeing.

The discussion also explores the challenges and rewards of working in such a complex and emotionally demanding environment.

Listen now:

Join our latest Tees Voices podcast as the neonatal multidisciplina...

18/06/2026

Miguel Hernandez Zambrano, associate specialist doctor for University Hospitals Tees, moved from his homeland in Mexico 19 years ago to work in the NHS - having worked at the University Hospital of North Tees ever since.

Ahead of Mexico's match against South Korea, spinal specialist Miguel has the following advice for his patients to help them keep active.

"It's so important the patients I treat are as active as they possibly can be - do the exercises we advise and your recovery will be quicker and more successful.

18/06/2026

Well done to our learning disability teams for introducing care bags for patients with a learning disability, which is helping to reduce anxiety and distress for these patients in our urgent and emergency departments.

The initiative is designed for patients with a learning disability who attend the emergency department (ED) at The James Cook
University Hospital and the University Hospital of North Tees, who may find the environment stressful and overwhelming.

Each care bag contains a mix of comfort objects such as fidget items, noise-cancelling earphones, eye masks, sensory chew bracelets, colouring pencils, sensory items, visual aids, sensory-friendly items and information resources.

The initiative has also been extended to include patients who are admitted to wards.

Since its introduction, the learning disability teams have received positive feedback from carers and patients at both hospitals.

Gemma Crooks, nurse advisor adult safeguarding and learning disability, added: “Patients with learning disabilities often face much higher levels of anxiety during an unexpected hospital visit. By providing immediate comfort items like noise-cancelling earphones and sensory items, we are actively reducing that distress and making healthcare more accessible.”

Read more: https://www.nth.nhs.uk/news/north-east-hospitals-introduce-care-bags-in-emergency-departments/

18/06/2026

At the NHS, we want to make sure patients have a good experience of care. Getting feedback from patients helps us improve and give patients what they need.

If you are being treated for cancer during April, May, June 2026, you may be invited to take part in the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey later in the year.

📢 Please have your say. Your answers will help the NHS make cancer care better.

If you are invited, you will get a letter with more information later this year. For more information on the survey, please visit www.ncpes.co.uk

17/06/2026

A big thank you to our hard working estates and facilities team!

Their hard work and commitment plays a vital role in running our hospitals.

Happy National Healthcare Estates and Facilities Day!

Happy National Healthcare Estates and Facilities Day!

Today we're taking a moment to recognise our fantastic colleagues who keep our hospitals running safely and smoothly every single day.

We look forward to celebrating with of our teams this afternoon for a cuppa, a sweet treat, and a well‑deserved moment of appreciation.

Thank you for all your hard work and commitment to patient care! 💙