South Tees becomes finalist after becoming one of the first acute hospital trusts in England since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to achieve a rating increase to ‘good’ from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for the care it delivers to patients and service users.
Chief executive who led improvement journey praises staff for their achievement and says the work goes on to raise standards even higher in collaboration with partners and communities.
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to announce that the organisation, which runs The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, Northallerton’s Friarage Hospital and community services in Redcar and Cleveland, Middlesbrough and North Yorkshire, has been shortlisted for NHS Trust of the Year at the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Awards, recognising an outstanding contribution to healthcare.
A ‘record-breaking’ 1,456 entries have been received for this year’s HSJ Awards, with 223 projects and individuals reaching the final shortlist, making it the biggest awards programme in the award’s 43-year history.
The high volume – and exceptional quality – of applications once again mirrors the impressive levels of innovation and care continually being developed within the UK’s healthcare networks.
In 2019, the CQC downgraded the trust’s overall rating to ‘Requires Improvement’.
At the time, inspectors found that clinicians did not always feel properly listened to, and many staff said that caring for patients and families was no longer the organisation’s number one priority.
Since then, the trust has been empowering its clinicians to take the decisions about how limited resources are managed and care is delivered across its hospitals and services.
Sue Page CBE, chief executive at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This is wonderful recognition for our amazing staff, partners and communities.
“We are so proud to have the opportunity to share the story of our improvement journey with colleagues from across the entire NHS.
The work goes on, and we are committed to working tirelessly to carry on raising our standards in collaboration with our fantastic partners and communities as we continue to recover together from the huge effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
HSJ editor Alastair McLellan, adds; “It always gives me great pleasure to congratulate our finalists at this stage of the judging process and this year is no exception as we acknowledge South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for being shortlisted in the category of NHS Trust of the Year.
“It’s been so encouraging to hear that 2023 has been record-breaking in terms of the number of applicants and, as ever, the calibre of entries left our panel of expert judges with some tough decisions to deliberate over.
However, it’s always important to remember that the HSJ Awards are not just a celebration of success stories but also a platform to shape the future of the NHS.
“We can’t wait to welcome our finalists to the awards ceremony in November and to recognise and applaud such impressive achievements across the sector – as well as coming together to help mark the 75th birthday of our great NHS. Huge thanks also go to our new headline partner, Vodafone, who share our mission of driving the standard of healthcare excellence and creating better patient experiences.”
The selected winners will be announced during the awards ceremony at Evolution London on 16 November 2023.
The event will not only reflect the HSJ Awards’ enduring ethos of “sharing best practice, improving patient outcomes and innovating drivers of better service” but will also serve as a timely and well-deserved thank you to the sector during the 75th anniversary year of the NHS.
The 2023 awards judging panel was once again made up of a diverse range of highly influential and respected figures within the healthcare community, including; Crystal Oldman, chief executive, Queen’s Nursing Institute; Dr Habib Naqvi MBE, chief executive, NHS Race and Health Observatory; Anne-Marie Vine-Lott, director of health, Vodafone; Sir Jim Mackey, National Director of Elective Recovery, NHS England, as well as a range of esteemed chief executives from NHS trusts across the UK.
The full list of nominees for the 2023 HSJ awards can be found at HSJ Awards page alongside details of the Awards partners.