Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust has halved the number of patients enduring extremely long waits in its Emergency Department, according to the Trust’s latest annual Quality Account published on 1 July.
The proportion of people waiting more than 12 hours to be admitted, transferred or discharged in A&E fell from 4.68 per cent to 2.5 per cent during 2025/26. Chief Executive Dr Sean Fenwick described the improvement as the result of a sustained, clinically led programme that overhauled patient flow, discharge processes, bed use and decision-making across the hospital.
Maternity and neonatal services also secured the top national rating in the Picker CQC survey for the second year running, a feat underpinned by strong leadership and a focus on personalised care co-produced with women and families. The Trust has begun rolling out new digital care planning tools and observation systems to support staff, while health inequality work is in its early stages with the introduction of “Making Every Contact Count” pilots, health literacy improvements and reasonable adjustment flags.
The report is candid about the pressures that still bear down on the Trust. Sustained high demand across urgent and emergency care, ongoing workforce pressures, and increasing financial constraints all feature as headwinds that require the organisation to work differently and prioritise carefully. The Trust is deepening its ties with voluntary and community groups in Gateshead as part of its role as an anchor institution, and continues to work with alliance partners to maximise available resources.
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.
