Health leaders in Middlesbrough and the surrounding areas are calling on local residents to share their experiences with the National Health Service as part of a new effort to improve local care. The ‘Caring Better Together’ survey, launched by University Hospitals Tees, asks patients and their families what the service does well and where improvements are needed.
University Hospitals Tees was formed in February 2024, bringing together the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and the South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust under a shared leadership structure. The group serves approximately 700,000 people across the Tees Valley, North Yorkshire, and County Durham, operating from four main hospital sites with a workforce of 16,000 staff.
With more than 1,000 responses already received, officials say early feedback highlights both successes and areas for concern. Many residents have praised the empathy, compassion, and knowledge of staff members. However, others have pointed to ongoing frustrations regarding parking, waiting times, appointment cancellations, and difficulties in how different services link together.
The feedback is particularly important given the region’s health challenges. Middlesbrough and Hartlepool are currently among the 10 most deprived local authorities in England, with significant health inequalities affecting the community. The Caring Better Together initiative aims to use these local perspectives to help shape the future of healthcare and guide how resources are allocated across the hospital group.
Residents are encouraged to share their thoughts through the online survey, with organisers specifically asking: What did we do well, what should we have done better, what one simple change could we make to improve things, and what matters most to you when you need our help?
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
