The County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust and the South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust have announced a new strategic alliance to improve healthcare services across the region. Formally announced on 11 May 2026, the partnership covers more than 1,000 square miles and will serve a combined population of over 1 million people through a workforce of more than 15,000 staff members.
While the two organisations are teaming up, they will remain separate legal entities with their own independent boards and accountability structures. The formal collaboration agreement aims to provide more sustainable care, support staff innovation, and help deliver the goals of the national health plan, such as providing more treatment closer to home and using new digital tools for patients. The collaboration comes as the County Durham and Darlington trust works through an improvement journey following a warning notice issued by the Care Quality Commission in December 2025 regarding governance and risk management processes.
Steve Russell, chief executive of the County Durham and Darlington trust, stated that the alliance is a positive step for both organisations and supports the focus on delivering safe, high-quality care for local communities. Ken Bremner, chief executive of the South Tyneside and Sunderland trust, added that the leadership teams have held open discussions to identify opportunities for working more closely together.
To support this new way of working, several leadership changes have been confirmed. Lorraine Nelson will lead the alliance development as Alliance Director, while Hayley Wardle, who is currently the Executive Director of Finance at the South Tyneside and Sunderland trust, will also take on the role of Chief Finance Officer for the County Durham and Darlington trust. Additionally, Dr Eliot Sykes will join the County Durham and Darlington trust as Chief Medical Officer over the summer, and Gill Hunt has been appointed as the substantive Chief Nurse.
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