NENC Providers Podcast

The Medicines Manufacturing Centre is a new facility that will produce medicines for patients across the NHS. It will also create new training and career opportunities in a highly skilled environment. In this episode of the Providers Podcast, we talk to staff from the Medicines Manufacturing Centre in Seaton Delaval about how they are building their workforce ahead of opening. Jody Varley, Educati...

Single Point of Access is a digital service that helps GPs get quick advice from hospital specialists. It helps patients get the right care faster and can avoid unnecessary hospital visits. In this episode of the Providers Podcast, we talk to staff from Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust about how Single Point of Access is improving care across the North East and North Cumbria. Richard St...

The Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub gives free, confidential support to people working in health and care across the North East and North Cumbria. Dr Richard Duggins is the Clinical Lead for the Hub and a Consultant Psychiatrist at Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust. In this episode, Dr Duggins talks about why the Hub was set up, the pressures staff are facing and ho...

Daniel Elkeles, Chief Executive of NHS Providers, recently visited several trusts across the North East and North Cumbria to see collaboration in action. From innovation on the ground to the challenges and opportunities ahead, Daniel shares his perspective on how working together can strengthen the NHS and deliver better care for patients. In this episode, we explore what he learned from his trip,...

Emma Davidson, Strategic Manager, and Lorna Dawson, Health Literacy Specialist, are leading efforts to improve how people understand and use health information across the North East and North Cumbria. Through the Health Literacy Programme, they’re helping NHS staff communicate more clearly, reduce health inequalities and empower patients to make informed decisions about their care. In this episode...

Katie Joyce, Medicines Value Programme Lead, and Laura Tweddle, Senior Clinical Pharmacy Manager at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, are leading efforts to improve how medicines are used across the North East and North Cumbria. Through the Medicines Value Programme, they are helping NHS Foundation Trusts work together to manage rising costs, make smarter decisions and deliver better care...

Deborah Gibson, Lead Nurse Endoscopist at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, helped shape the new Endoscopy Unit at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle. In this episode of the NENC Providers Podcast, Deborah shares her journey in nursing and explains how the new unit is improving care. She talks about the procedures carried out, the benefits of lead-lined rooms and how the space...

Marc Sutton is the Managing Director of the new Medicines Manufacturing Centre (MMC), which is being built in Seaton Delaval. In this episode of the NENC Providers Podcast, Marc talks about his career and how he came to lead the MMC. He explains what the centre will do, how it will help patients and why it’s important for the North East and North Cumbria. The MMC will make large amounts of chemoth...

Ken Bremner MBE is Chair of the North East and North Cumbria Provider Collaborative and Chief Executive of South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust. In this episode of the NENC Providers Podcast, Ken reflects on a year of progress across the region’s NHS services and looks ahead at the collaborative’s priorities for 2025 and beyond. Ken shares insights into the Provider Collaborative’s s...

Helen Ray is the Chief Executive of the North East Ambulance Service and a long-standing leader in the NHS. As she prepares for retirement, Helen joins the NENC Providers Podcast to reflect on her career, her leadership journey and the future of collaborative healthcare in the region. In this episode, Helen shares what first inspired her to join the NHS, the defining moments of her leadership and...

Naail Al Zuhir is a Consultant Radiologist and Clare Moody is the Lead Research Radiographer at The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. They are part of the North East and North Cumbria Imaging Academy, a regional initiative supported by the Provider Collaborative to enhance radiology training and research across the region. On this episode of the NENC Providers Podcast, Naail and...

Rachel O’Donnell and Michelle Russell are Consultant Gynaecologists at The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. They are part of a regional NHS gynaecology network that shares best practice across the North East and North Cumbria. On this episode of NENC Providers Podcast, Rachel and Michelle discuss how the network benefits patients, staff and the NHS in general. They also talk abo...

The NENC Diagnostic Imaging Network has been set up to help transform and address some of the challenges that the region's imaging services face. The network is a collaboration of all the eight acute Foundation Trusts in the region and work alongside partners such as Northern Cancer Alliance and Primary Care. Over the last year, the network has achieved major milestones. This includes leading on t...

The Tees Valley Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) is nearing completion. The new facility will be based on Stockton High Street and will provide rapid tests for a range of health issues including cancer, heart and lung disease. North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are working in partnership on this exciting project, with support from the Nort...

As a region we helped over 1,000 patients get their treatment sooner in 2024. The Mutual Support Framework helps facilitate the easier movement of patients between North East and North Cumbria Providers for their elective care. To discuss this we're joined by County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trusts Executive Director of Operations Lorraine Nelson and Associate Director of Operations Fel...

The ‘portability agreement’ supports the effective temporary movement of staff between organisations across the North East and North Cumbria. All Foundation Trusts in the region have signed up with the aim of cutting down on the usual lengthy recruitment timelines and support operational service delivery. On the latest episode of Providers Podcast we're joined by Terry Phillips who is the Clinical...

The Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at Metrocentre in Gateshead is now open. Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are working in partnership on this exciting project. On the latest episode of Providers Podcast we're joined by the CDC's Clinical Manager Gareth Davies and Radiology Operational Manager Hayley Corkin. Gareth and Hayley discuss...

Our plans for a new flagship NHS Medicines Manufacturing Centre (MMC) to serve patients across the North East and North Cumbria have recently been approved. The new regional facility, based in Seaton Delaval, will produce large volumes of chemotherapy treatment, as well as other ‘ready to administer’ injectable medicines. On the latest episode of Providers Podcast we're joined by the MMCs Head of...

On our first episode of the Providers Podcast we're joined by Matt Brown who is the Managing Director of the North East and North Cumbria Provider Collaborative. Matt talks us through what the Provider Collaborative is, how the system works within the NHS and some of the projects that are currently taking place to help improve patient care across the region. He also discusses how the Provider Coll...