TWO healthcare support workers from Teesside have won prestigious Chief Nursing Officer Awards. Rozi Murray and Mark Bond both from South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust were over the moon to be honoured with the national accolades from NHS England. The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Healthcare Support Worker Awards (HCSW)Continue Reading
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) marks its 20th anniversary on Friday 18 April 2025. The department was established in April 2005 through the merger of the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise, combining tax administrations to reduce overlap and enhance service delivery. The creation of HMRC by the thenContinue Reading
Government’s Help to Save scheme now open to 550,000 more people to help with cost of living · Those saving £50 a month can expect £25 Government top-up, putting more money in people’s pockets · Part of Government’s mission to grow the economy and deliver on our Plan for ChangeContinue Reading
This Mental Health Awareness Week, Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust’s Charity has teamed up with Northumberland Wildlife Trust to connect with nature and wildlife. The organisations will be running two events during Mental Health Awareness Week (12 – 18 May) offering people the opportunity to immerse themselvesContinue Reading
As Easter approaches, thousands of families will benefit from early payments for Child Benefit and Universal Credit, among other benefits. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming changes to your payment dates. Key Points: With Easter on the horizon, many are gearing up for Easter eggs, extended breaks,Continue Reading
The Secretary of State for Business and Trade has today (16/04/2025) accepted the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA)’s recommendation to impose provisional anti-dumping duties on imports of engine oils and hydraulic fluids from Lithuania and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), following evidence of dumping that has caused injury to UK industry. These measuresContinue Reading
The National Trust has announced Cath Darling, bereavement occupational therapist, as one of the recipients of the 49 ‘Trees of Hope’ Sycamore Gap saplings being gifted to individuals, groups, and organisations across the UK. Cath has been working as an occupational therapist at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust for 10Continue Reading
MEMORIAL artwork created by college students to commemorate the challenges faced by a community during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been unveiled at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust. Students from Stockton Sixth Form College were commissioned to paint duplicate pieces for installations at both North Tees and Hartlepool HospitalContinue Reading
The first patients have been welcomed into a new state-of-the-art community health facility in Teesside. The Tees Valley Community Diagnostic Centre will offer rapid tests for a range of health issues including cancer, heart and lung disease. The site, which opened this month in Bridge Street in Stockton, is beingContinue Reading
COLLEAGUES from a Teesside-based healthcare trust have been highlighted for their work in delivering and supporting the implementation of an electronic patient record (EPR), following a recent survey by NHS England. South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been recognised as one of the top 10 trusts in an ‘EPRContinue Reading
The first patients have been welcomed into a new state-of-the-art community health facility in Teesside. The Tees Valley Community Diagnostic Centre will offer rapid tests for a range of health issues including cancer, heart and lung disease. The site, which opened this month in Bridge Street in Stockton, is beingContinue Reading
An NHS research team in Teesside has hit a national first in a study looking at the impact of a capsule patients swallow to help detect bowel cancer. The research service at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust has recruited the first patient into the ColoCap trial this week.Continue Reading
A new role is supporting NHS staff and patients to prevent fall injuries during hospital stays and reduce hospital re-admissions. 30-year-old D’Arcie Hall, from Billingham, was appointed falls educator at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust in February 2025. A brand new position in the trust, her role looksContinue Reading
28 March 2025 Innovations in transporting blood products and diversifying the workforce by introducing apprenticeship schemes has resulted in the pathology team at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust being recognised at the 2025 North East and Yorkshire Healthcare Science Awards. The awards acknowledge teams and individuals that are actively workingContinue Reading
A group of bereaved families is calling for a public inquiry into Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, accusing the organization of failing to keep their loved ones safe and causing emotional and physical harm. The families claim that the Trust’s systemic failures have led to unnecessary sufferingContinue Reading
Total Healing World Outreach was established to advance the Christian faith in the UK and overseas, and to prevent and relieve poverty. The Charity regulator for England and Wales began engaging with the charity in June 2023 as trustees had failed to supply the charity’s accounts and financial information on timeContinue Reading
A company which claimed to sell adult films has been shut down following concerns it was being used as a direct debit scam. Drawntear Limited was wound-up at a hearing of the High Court in Manchester on Wednesday 12 February. The company, which said it was based in Hull beforeContinue Reading
On 5 February, our Public Safety and Subsidence team was made aware of the collapse in a farmer’s field and over a public bridleway in the Bishop Auckland area. The collapse, measuring 7 metres in diameter and up to 50 metres deep, was quickly secured and planning work to fillContinue Reading
From 1 April 2025, registered keepers of electric, zero or low emission cars, vans and motorcycles will need to pay vehicle tax in the same way as registered keepers of petrol and diesel vehicles. This change will apply to both new and existing vehicles. This new measure removes band AContinue Reading
The data published yesterday shows that HMCTS has slashed average wait times in December 2024 to just over four weeks. This compares to twelve weeks at the end of 2023 and over eight weeks at the end of June 2024. The improvement is a result of decisive Government action to reduceContinue Reading
For 20 years, Vladimir Putin has been repeating the mistakes of Russia’s past: by seeking to recreate the Russian empire and suffocate the countries around its borders. Too often in the past, the West has let him. We did too little in 2008, when he invaded Georgia, and in 2014,Continue Reading
From tomorrow (17 February), Local Authorities can begin rolling out local schemes for tax relief to help filmmakers produce the country’s next box office hits, rom-coms and cult classics. Film studios are to receive business rates relief over the next nine years as the government rolls out a 40% reductionContinue Reading
Volunteers who help to keep County Durham’s coastline clean will continue to be supported thanks to council funding. Durham County Council works alongside other local authorities, and organisations such as The National Trust, Durham Wildlife Trust, Groundwork and Northumbrian Water, as part of the Heritage Coast Partnership. The partnership aimsContinue Reading
· HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) ‘Help for Hustles’ campaign launched to support people earning extra income to understand any tax obligations As Valentine’s Day approaches, anyone who has turned the love for their hobby into a side hustle is being encouraged to put a ring on it and makeContinue Reading
UK businesses are, for the first time, being invited to have their say on the government’s electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) proposals. E-invoicing is the digital exchange of invoice information directly between buyers and suppliers. It could help businesses get their tax right first time, reduce invoicing and data errors, improve theContinue Reading
Families have faced rocketing energy bills as a direct consequence of an overreliance on international gas markets, while at the same time thousands of tenants have been left exposed to cold, draughty homes, pushing bills up even higher. The government is now calling time on this inheritance by consulting onContinue Reading
Local communities up and down the country will receive funding for family and school nurses, sexual health clinics and other public health services in their areas, thanks to a nearly £200 million boost in funding announced today (7 February 2025). As part of government plans to improve health outcomes acrossContinue Reading
Food redistribution charities can now submit applications for a new £15 million Government scheme, which is helping to ensure surplus food is delivered to those who need it. Every year, an estimated 330,000 tonnes of edible food is either wasted or repurposed as animal feed before leaving farm gates. ThisContinue Reading
Millions of people are set to benefit from improvements to the way homes are bought and sold, saving them both time and money by helping stop property transactions from falling through. Under major new plans, the government has announced today [February 9] it will modernise the way the process worksContinue Reading
The Deputy Prime Minister has met bereaved families and survivors of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, and written to both them and residents in the immediate community, to share her decision that Grenfell Tower will be carefully taken down to the ground. This is a deeply personal matter for the peopleContinue Reading
Significant investment in Alexander Barracks, Pirbright, has provided a modern, sustainable facility that supports the welfare of recruits. The new Soldiers’ Centre offers centralised welfare support for recruits who are completing the 13-week basic training course. Spread over 2 storeys, the £11 million purpose-built facility comprises retail and food outlets,Continue Reading
Building works on a new NHS diagnostic centre are nearing completion – with health staff speaking of their “excitement” after state-of-the-art equipment was installed. The Tees Valley Community Diagnostic Centre in Stockton will open in the next few weeks, delivering tests for cancer, heart and lung disease. The centre hasContinue Reading
A HOSPITAL trust from Teesside is delighted after over 150 electronic devices were donated to its digital donation appeal in January. South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust held two digital donation events across its hospital sites at James Cook and the Friarage on Wednesday 15 January. The events were heldContinue Reading
A physiotherapist’s use of digital technology has seen the waiting list for physiotherapy fall by more than 80% and has helped patients like Stephen to be seen even quicker. Senior specialist physiotherapist Linda Furness, who works at the Friarage Hospital, has been credited for driving a change within the physiotherapyContinue Reading
More than 11.5 million taxpayers successfully filed their Self Assessment tax returns for the 2023–2024 tax year by the 31 January deadline, avoiding a £100 late filing penalty, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has confirmed. A total of 732,498 people submitted their returns on deadline day, with the busiest hourContinue Reading
Oliver Henry Alexander King, 52, of Bedale, North Yorkshire, appeared at York Magistrates’ Court on Friday 24 January 2025, where he pleaded guilty to one charge of operating a waste site without an environmental permit, and one charge of failing to comply with a notice to clear waste from theContinue Reading
The UK government has announced a raft of plans to drive up participation in Horizon Europe by researchers, innovators and businesses from across the country – as tomorrow (Wednesday 1 January) marks the one-year anniversary of the UK’s association to the £80 billion programme that runs from 2021 to 2027.Continue Reading
Record numbers of people put on their running shoes and got fit-for-free this year with 8.7 million NHS Couch to 5k runs completed in 2024, new data revealed today (31 December 2024). Millions of kilometres were covered as 790,000 downloaded the NHS fitness app this year alone and 9.3Continue Reading
The walls and rooms are bare, with wires and cables hanging from incomplete ceilings, but the excitement is palpable. Simon Milburn and Phil Woolfall, clinical directors of radiology at South Tees Hospitals and North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation trusts respectively, are certainly impressed as they look around what will become theContinue Reading
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is reminding the public this New Year not to buy weight-loss medicines without a healthcare professional’s prescription from beauty salons or via social media. Not only does this expose people wanting to lose weight to serious health risks – it is alsoContinue Reading
Tulip Siddiq, the Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn (formerly Hampstead and Highgate), has held her parliamentary seat since 2015. With Labour’s return to power in July, she was appointed Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister, placing her at the helm of the UK’s financial services sector. AContinue Reading
The UK will train 180 Ukrainian soldiers to be combat mental resilience practitioners on the frontlines in 2025 – nearly double the 100 who were successfully trained this year. The Combat Stress Signposting Course (CSSC) has been delivered by British Army specialists to Ukrainian soldiers within positions of command asContinue Reading
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to his younger brother Nick, who had cancer, after he died on Boxing Day at the age of 60. “My brother Nick was a wonderful man,” Starmer said in a statement. “He met all the challenges life threw at him with courageContinue Reading
Thousands of tonnes of food, including festive favourites like brussels sprouts and potatoes, that might otherwise go to waste will be delivered to those who need it most, thanks to a new £15 million government fund. An estimated 330,000 tonnes of edible food is either wasted or repurposed as animalContinue Reading
A sudden push by GPs across the UK to reduce or completely withdraw prescription painkillers from patients has left many in agony, with some turning to medical and illegal cannabis for relief, Kearney FM has learned. Patients suffering from chronic pain conditions, including fibromyalgia, arthritis, and post-surgical complications, report beingContinue Reading
Officers have been out in force across the UK to disrupt rogue employers who hire migrants illegally and exploit vulnerable people, and to address the promise of illegal jobs that are used by criminal smuggling gangs to sell spaces in small boats crossing the Channel. Particular focus has been onContinue Reading
Latest situation Take action to prevent bird flu and stop it spreading. Be vigilant for signs of disease and report it to keep your birds safe. 23 December 2024 Following the report of suspicion of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in commercial poultry at a premises near Hingham, South Norfolk, Norfolk (AIV SOSContinue Reading
Workers at the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office in Newcastle are set to commence an eight-week strike on Monday. The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) announced the strike to support three colleagues it claims were unfairly dismissed. A picket line is planned outside HMRC’s Benton Park offices, accordingContinue Reading
Thousands of people will receive their benefit payments earlier than usual this month due to the upcoming bank holidays for Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day. Here’s what you need to know: Why Are Payments Early? Benefit payments are typically not processed on bank holidays. If your paymentContinue Reading
Mr Hayhoe began his role on 3 December and will be in post for a fixed-term of one-year. Mr Hayhoe will work across government to draw on the expertise in the Public Sector Fraud Authority, Government Commercial Function, and Department of Health and Social Care to use every means possibleContinue Reading
GPs will be able to spend more time treating patients under proposed reforms to general practice which will bring back the family doctor and slash red tape. The proposals fall under the new GP contract for 2025/26, which is now out for consultation with the British Medical Association’s General PracticeContinue Reading
The Prime Minister has today confirmed the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson to be the next British Ambassador to the United States of America. His Majesty the King approved the appointment on the recommendation of the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary. Lord Mandelson is co-founder of Global Counsel, aContinue Reading
Trials for a “new approach” to inspections will start in the first week of next term, Ofsted has announced as it ploughs ahead with reform despite sector concerns over moving too quickly. The trial will involve visits to a “small number of volunteer schools” to “informally test elements of theContinue Reading
The government has relaunched the Net Zero Council, bringing together a broader range of voices to deepen the partnership between government, the private sector, civil society and local authorities, to support plans to accelerate to net zero across the economy. The Council will act as the primary stakeholder forum supportingContinue Reading
The UK and Australia will reinforce their economic and defence partnership and bolster co-operation on shared global challenges at an annual ministerial meeting – known as AUKMIN – today (16 December). The Foreign Secretary and the Defence Secretary will host Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister RichardContinue Reading
