Who we are
We are a group of local hospitals called University Hospitals Tees. UHT brings together South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (STHFT) and North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust (NTHFT).
We care for people across Teesside and nearby areas. We aim to provide safe, high-quality care for everyone
What we are trying to do
We want every patient to:
Be safe during their care
Get the right treatment
Feel listened to and respected
What went well this year
Safer care
We improved how we learn from mistakes to stop them happening again.
We made medicines safer to use, with better systems and checks.
We reduced risks, such as missing important medicines.
Better treatment and outcomes
Doctors and nurses follow best medical guidance.
We take part in national checks and reviews to make sure care is of a high standard.
Death rates in our hospitals are within expected levels.
Listening to patients
Patients shared feedback, which helped improve services.
Many patients said staff were kind, caring and professional.
Changes made include:
Better patient information
Improved food options (for example for people with dementia)
Clearer hospital signs
Mental health support
We introduced a new plan to better support mental health alongside physical care.
Staff received training to improve how they support patients.
Research and new ideas
Over 13,000 patients took part in research studies to improve care
We are using more digital tools and new technology to support treatment.
Where we need to improve
Some patients wait too long in emergency care
Some complaints take too long to resolve
Some hospital buildings are old and need upgrading
What we will improve next year
Our main priorities are:
Help staff spot when patients are getting worse earlier
Make sure medicines are used safely every time
Reduce hospital infections
Use patient feedback to improve services
Respond to complaints more quickly and clearly
Our commitment to you
We are committed to:
Putting patients first
Being open and honest
Learning and improving every year
In summary:
We have made good progress in keeping patients safe and improving care, but we know there is more work to do, especially in:
- reducing waiting times
- improving how quickly we respond to concerns.