James Cook NHS Hospital

17/10/2025

Our this week is for our children and young people's emergency department at James Cook.

17/10/2025

Each year, around 55,000 women and 400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK.

As October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, our breast clinical nurse specilaist Charlotte Day is trying to raise awareness of breast cancer and urging people to be aware of its symptoms.

The earlier breast cancer is diagnosed, the better the chance of successful treatment.

Watch the video below to know more about the symptoms of breast cancer.

16/10/2025

A big congratulations to all our winners and everyone who was nominated for our first-ever University Hospitals Tees AHP Day Awards.

The awards, which were held at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough, honoured AHPs across the hospital group who go above and beyond their roles, and provided an opportunity for them to celebrate their achievements.

Allied health professionals are healthcare professionals who provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and rehabilitative services in various healthcare settings and are the third largest clinical workforce in the health and care.

More than a hundred nominations were received for a diverse range of award categories for the prestigious awards.

Occupational therapist Sharon Barker received the group chief AHP outstanding AHP award of the year.

Her achievements were part of a wider project in expanding the development of occupational therapy in critical care – from a single member to an established team helping critically ill patients relive their lives at James Cook Hospital.

She said: "It was a real privilege to be nominated with such an amazing group of AHPs. I feel really honoured as it was totally unexpected.

“I would also like to thank the people with whom I work daily and to everyone who has supported me throughout my career.”

Read more about the winners here: https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/news/nhs-hospital-group-celebrates-ahp-workforce-at-special-event/

14/10/2025

We are trialling a new partial booking system to give patients booked into general neurology clinics more control over their appointments.

They will be placed on a waiting list in order of their referral date and/or priority of clinical need.

When it is time to book, a letter or text message will be sent to schedule an convenient appointment date and time convenient. This will usually be six weeks in advance. If for any reason the appointment needs to be rearranged, they will go back to their place in line.

This new booking policy applies only to patients booked into general neurology clinics at:

✅James Cook
✅Friarage
✅Whitby Community Hospital
✅Peaseway Medical Centre
✅Bishopgate Medical Centre.

From next Monday 20 October, appointments booked within general neurology clinics between February to November 2026 will begin to be cancelled.

Patients will receive an appointment cancellation notification via post or text and join the new partial booking waiting list. When it is time to rebook, they will receive a letter inviting them to make an appointment.

➡️For more information and answers to your frequently asked questions, visit: https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/services/neurosciences/neurology/

13/10/2025

Patients undergoing major heart operations in the cardiothoracic critical care unit (CICU) at James Cook will now benefit from improved post-operative care thanks to new state-of-the-art equipment.

The South Cleveland Heart Fund recently donated a brand-new £72,000 echo machine with transoesophageal probe which will provide clearer images of the heart.

Dr Jonathan Brand who works within CICU at James Cook said:

“We are incredibly grateful to the South Cleveland Heart Fund.

"The addition of the echo machine with transoesophageal probe will significantly enhance our ability to deliver timely, accurate, and life-saving care to critically ill patients in the cardiothoracic intensive care unit."

Read more:

Critically ill patients undergoing major heart operations in Teesside will benefit from improved post-operative care thanks to new state-of-the-art equipment.

10/10/2025

Think smoking ci******es is cool? Think again! 🚭

Here's our very own staff member, Alison Kerr with her own way of telling you to not light up your money in smoke! 💸💸

09/10/2025

“I was minutes away from losing my eyesight but NHS saved me”

On 25 September, Leslie Dean, 74, was watching his television when he suffered what he described as an ‘explosion’ happening inside his brain.

Leslie assumed it was a migraine but when sudden numbness started creeping in too, he alerted his wife, who rushed to his aid.

He said: “I started shouting for my wife, asking where she was and she replied saying that she was right in front of me. But I couldn’t see her and that’s when I realised – my vision was gone.”

When he arrived at James Cook Hospital, the stroke team assessed him and informed he had suffered hemianopia, which is the loss of part of the field of view on the same side in both eyes, and is normally a sign of stroke.

At 1.25pm, Dr Young and his team promptly administered thrombolysis, a medical treatment using “clot-busting” drugs to dissolve blood clots and restore blood flow.

According to Dr Young, anyone suffering from a similar stroke who is not offered thrombolysis within the four-and-a-half-hour period could experience some life-changing consequences.

Read more about how the stroke team's prompt care helped save Leslie's eyesight: https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/news/i-was-minutes-away-from-losing-my-eyesight-but-nhs-saved-me/

07/10/2025

Do you want to join a leading centre in delivering of cutting-edge radiotherapy?

If yes, us on Wednesday 15 October between at 6pm and 8pm in the main radiotherapy outpatients department (access via the north entrance) at the James Cook Hospital to explore the exciting career opportunities in our state-of-the-art radiotherapy department.

With over 40,000 treatments delivered annually and a strong national and international reputation, our department offers a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of radiotherapy.

We’re looking for individuals interested in training to become:

💼 Therapeutic radiographers
💼 Clinical practitioners
💼 Medical physicists / scientist
💼 Oncology registrars

Save the date in your calendar and come along for a chat to find out how you can join our expert team.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 15 October.

06/10/2025

𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆?

From drivers to welcomers, from chaplains to hospital radio, our volunteers right across University Hospitals Tees make such a difference to our patients, visitors and staff.

Now, the team at Stitch want to hear about them.

Until the end of October, the team is welcoming nominations from any of our visitors or staff for volunteers who have had an impact and made a difference.

All volunteers nominated will be entered into a prize draw with a chance to win a £50 Greggs voucher, kindly donated by our community branch of Greggs Foundation.

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲?

You are welcome to nominate anyone in a volunteer role at our University Hospitals Tees sites. This includes our Hartlepool, Friarage, James Cook and North Tees hospital sites.

To nominate a volunteer now, please complete our nomination form: https://form.jotform.com/252422268958062

02/10/2025

“But one of my first questions was how do we treat this and when do we get started? I was and still am determined to fight and do what was needed to give me the best chance of beating the cancer.”

Angeline Stewart, 40, experienced a wave of unexpected tiredness accompanied by a sore throat, which initially felt odd, but she attributed it to being generally unwell.

However, one day when she returned home from the town centre in May 2025, she was out of breath and more tired than usual, which was strange for her as she was physically active.

After repeated similar instances, the Thornaby resident made an appointment with her GP, who tested her blood for further medical investigations.

Angeline was urgently advised to visit the University Hospital of North Tees the next day, where the medical teams performed a bone marrow biopsy – owing to her low platelets.

Following this, Angeline was shocked when she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). She was shocked to have discovered the condition as she was not aware of the diagnosed blood cancer.

Angeline is now advising everyone, regardless of their age, to never ignore any symptoms and to always trust their instincts.

Read more: https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/news/i-will-beat-my-cancer-angeline-shares-cancer-diagnosis-journey/

02/10/2025

It’s that time of year again, when staff at University Hospitals Tees are encouraged be wise and immunise against flu this winter.

Our first colleagues to get the jab were Ally Cally and Rachel Fortune.

Ally was the first was the first member of staff to have her flu jab this year at James Cook Hospital. After finishing her nightshift, she stayed behind to make sure she was jabbed ahead of winter.

She said: “I get my jab every year but I wanted to get it as soon as possible as I caught flu last year, it was awful. I was really unwell for around two and a half weeks. I’d encourage other NHS colleagues to get theirs because flu is terrible.

Rachel, a clinical support worker and the first member of staff to get their flu jab at University Hospital of North Tees said: “I get my jab for the patients, the people I work with and for my family. I think it’s so important to make sure we’re protected from the flu.”

01/10/2025

Stoptober starts today! You are doing the best thing you can for your health by quitting - and you don't need to do it alone.

There are plenty of ways to get support, but the best way to get started is to get your free Personal Quit Plan here: https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/ready-to-quit-smoking/personal-quit-plan/?fbclid=IwY2xjawNKCmJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBobG5tcUpsNWowN0lyS3VuAR47mOeRpKOS-upKeBdCghV6vIWzlL4yzJ336ZqyQK_TkKLkDuFRxF7l1dMgaA_aem_q525HFF1AZjnzEYUBbmD8g