Our People Podcast

On this week's episode of Our People Podcast we met up with Director of Operations and Deputy Chief Executive Dr Sean Fenwick. Sean discusses how he is involved with helping the Trust manage winter pressures and provides an insight of what pressures the NHS may be dealing with this year. He also talks about what patients and the community can do to help ease these pressures and what plans have bee...

In the final episode of our three-part series about the Staff Network Groups here at the Trust, we talk to Junior Sister Vasily George from the Renal Satellite Unit at Durham Treatment Centre. Vasily is involved with the Workforce Race Equality Staff Network (WREN). She talks about how the group is a confidential, safe space for staff to share experiences, provide advice and support, raise concern...

On this week's episode of Our People Podcast we continue to talk to our Staff Network Groups. We met up with Organisational & Leadership Practitioner Jill Duncan who chairs the Positive Health Group. This is for staff at the Trust living with long-term physical or mental health conditions. Jill talks about her own long-term physical condition as she suffers from rheumatoid arthritis. She discu...

Yesterday was World Mental Health Day. To help raise awareness of this we are highlighting our Staff Network Groups in a three-part series on Our People Podcast. To kick start this on this week's episode we met up with Thrive Clinical Team Lead Dr Sarah Markham and Assistant Psychologist Rachel Baines. Rachel is part of the LGBT+ Staff Network and discusses how the group is a safe space for staff...

On this week's episode of Our People Podcast we joined Sunderland Eye Infirmary Clinical Lead and Consultant Ophthalmologist Ajay Kotagiri. Our Eye Infirmary is one of the leading providers of eye health care services in the UK and is a centre of excellence. Ajay discusses the types of services we provide our patients and how we aim to provide a first-class service to people who have eye emergenci...

On Friday 29th September it's World Heart Day. World Heart Day is a reminder for everyone to take care of their hearts as cardiovascular disease continues to be the world’s number one killer. To discuss this for the 50th episode of Our People Podcast we joined Consultant Cardiologist Mickey Jachuck and Senior Chief Physiologist in Cardiology Joanna Spence. They talk about the difference between a...

Earlier this month we marked Sexual Health Week. To discuss the mental aspect of sexual health we joined Psychosexual Therapist Elaine Conway. Elaine talks about the sort of issues her patients deal with and the services she provides in order to help them. She also highlights the importance of sex education.

September is National Vascular Disease Awareness Month. To discuss this on Our People Podcast we joined Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner Gemma Davison and Consultant Dr Adriano Sala Tenna. Gemma and Adriano talk about the most common diseases the vascular department deals with and how the new Investigation and Intervention Unit at Sunderland Royal Hospital will benefit our patients and staff...

On this week's episode of Our People Podcast we joined Elder Life Specialist Practitioner Claire Boylan and Nurse Consultant for Older Persons Chris Cairns. Claire and Chris talk about how the Alexandra Centre aims to act as a centre of excellence and how the team helps our over 65-year-old patients with delirium and dementia. They also discuss how the service has a role to support carers and staf...

On this week's episode of Our People Podcast we joined Theatre Manager Alan Simpson and Deputy Directorate Manager for Theatres and Critical Care Louisa Robinson. Our digital theatres have recently had a major overhaul to give operating theatre teams the best technology at their fingertips. Alan and Louisa talk about why it is important that the team have all the latest technology and what happens...

On this week's episode of Our People Podcast we joined Safeguarding Children Nurse Advisor Michelle Milburn and Patient Experience Facilitator Alison McNally. In 2017, the Trust set up the Young Persons' Group which aims to make a difference to children and young people accessing hospital and health services. Michelle and Alison are key figures in running the group and discuss how they make sure t...

On this week's episode of Our People Podcast we joined Director of Research Deepali Varma and Director of Innovation Imran Ahmed. Deepali and Imran talk about the important role research and innovation play at our Trust and how they help patient care. They also discuss why they joined the NHS and how they got to where they are.

On this week's episode of Our People Podcast we joined Diabetes Specialist Nurse and Safe Care Lead Kay Brown as well as Consultant Nimantha De-Alwis. Did you know more than 4.3 million people are now living with a diagnosis of diabetes in the UK? Kay and Nimantha talk about what diabetes is, how someone can be tested for it and what health problems it can cause. They also discuss how diabetes can...

To kick start Season 3 of the multi-award winning Our People Podcast we celebrate World Breastfeeding Week. We joined Infant Feeding Lead for Midwifery, Stacey McFarlane, Community Nursery Nurse, Cheryl Rutherford and mam Angel Puttock. Angel talks about her first-hand experience of breastfeeding whilst Stacey and Cheryl list all the benefits that come with it. They also discuss this year's Breast...

To celebrate the NHS 75th birthday we spoke to our Chief Executive Ken Bremner on this special episode of Our People Podcast. Ken discusses the importance of having a National Health Service free at the point of access and the vital role technology and innovation plays as we reach this important milestone. He also talks about how the NHS has evolved since its launch in 1948 and what our role is as...

In the final episode of Season Two we spoke to Head of Neurophysiology and Senior Chief Clinical Physiologist Debra Young. Debra talks about what Neurophysiology is, how the department has kept the patient waiting lists down and the development of our Advanced Physiologist. In April we hosted our Staff Recognition Awards and Debra also discusses how proud she was to win the Governors' Award.

On this week's episode we are joined by Extended Scope Practitioners Jill Clark and Catherine Johnson. Jill and Catherine work at Sunderland Integrated Musculoskeletal Service (SIMS) which offers specialist assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of joint, bone and muscle conditions to patients. Recently the service has launched a self-help tool called Move with Me, which is an online resource av...

We are one of 14 Trusts to be involved in the Shared Governance: Collective Leadership Programme which is sponsored by the Chief Nursing Officer for England, Ruth May. The programme aims to promote excellence in practice and shared decision making across our nursing teams and is the only accredited programme of its kind in the world. On this week's episode of Our People Podcast we were joined by A...

On this week's episode of Our People Podcast we were joined by Wendy Hadlington and Sheila Scott who work at Healthwatch Sunderland and Healthwatch South Tyneside. The pair talk about the work that is going on at our hospitals and around the community to help improve our services and ensure we give our patients the best treatment possible. Wendy also discusses how our Outpatients Department at Sun...

On Friday 28th April the Trust celebrated its first Staff Recognition Awards. The event was hosted at the Beacon of Light and was dedicated to the healthcare heroes that work at our Trust to thank them for their service to the NHS. Listen to find out the nominees and winners of all the awards.

This episode marks National Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist Day. The aim of the day is to raise the profile of cancer clinical nurse specialists at a time when patients and the cancer workforce need them more than ever. To help do this on Our People Podcast we were joined by Cancer Lead Nurse Kelly Craggs, Community Staff Nurse Michaela Fleury and Out of Hours Palliative Care Team member Alison B...

On this week's episode of Our People Podcast we spoke to Lead Midwife for Maternal Mental Health Lorna Middlemass and Midwife Sarah Little. Our maternity team has lots of experience in what they do and will be there for you throughout your pregnancy. Lorna and Sarah discuss how the team supports new mums through services such as Birth Reflection and Talking Therapies. They also talk about where's...

Patients who suffer trauma as a result of pregnancy or giving birth can now get support from a new Maternal Mental Health Service here at STSFT. To talk about this service on this episode of Our People Podcast we were joined by Lead Midwife for Maternal Mental Health, Lorna Middlemass and Clinical Psychologist, Lyndsey Hall. The pair discuss how the service has many different support avenues for p...

On this week’s episode of Our People Podcast we spoke to Head of Innovation, Mark Taylor. He discusses how the Trust encourages innovation within every department and how we support any ideas which have been identified to help staff in their day-to-day work. Mark also talks about how the Trust took two titles in this year's Bright Ideas in Health Awards and how the maternity team are using sign la...

On this week’s episode of Our People Podcast we spoke to Head of Clinical Health Psychology, Sonia Wilson and Clinical Psychologist, Sarah Markham. Sarah is also the Clinical Lead for Thrive which is a service that offers emotional and mental health support for all STSFT staff. Sarah and Sonia discuss how our staff can benefit from an in-house service such as Thrive and what it has to offer.