Adult mental health services in South Tyneside is one of our key priority areas for this year.

Our newly launched survey asks service users a series of questions about their experiences including waiting times for support, ease in finding out about available services, any improvements needed and awareness of dementia support.

Our engagement team will also be contacting local voluntary and community groups to arrange visits over the coming weeks to gain insight and to hear the experiences of local residents.

We will produce a report with our findings and recommendations to be shared with service leaders following our research.

To take part, please download the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TRQ6P8B

If breast cancer is detected early, treatment is more likely to be successful and the chances of survival are higher.

One of the best ways to detect breast cancer early is to regularly attend breast screening.  A mammogram is able to detect changes before any signs or symptoms appear, this is why it’s important to attend breast screening even if you feel fit and healthy.

Having a mammogram is nothing to worry about. It’s quick and easy and only takes 10 minutes and the friendly staff are on hand if you do have any concerns.

Women registered with an NHS GP between the ages of 50 and 71 will be invited to attend free breast screening every three years. So please, if you receive your breast screening invitation, don’t delay, attend straight away.

For more information visit: https://www.gatesheadhealth.nhs.uk/services/breast-screening/

Or contact the screening centre on 0191 445 2554 if you need to rebook or change your appointment.

Download our information leaflet here.

Praise came from many respondents for the kindness and compassion shown by the staff in the Discharge Lounge at South Tyneside Hospital and the quality of care patients received there.

But a number of people taking part in our survey complained about waiting for meds when ready for discharge and a feeling some described of the discharge process being ‘rushed’ – ostensibly to free up beds.

The wide range of responses received would suggest contrasting experiences of the discharge process and clear areas for potential improvement to ensure a more consistent positive outcome for patients and their relatives/carers:

• Two-thirds said they felt involved in decisions made for their discharge from hospital but a third didn’t – contrasting feedback ranging from ‘excellent’, ‘amazing’ and ‘very informative’ to ‘I didn’t feel safe to go home’ and ‘my daughter was discharged without any paperwork’.
• Just over half (50.6%) said they felt involved in their care plan but more than a third (37.7%) said they didn’t, with comments ranging from ‘family members who had concerns…were invited to an MDT meeting’ to ‘I didn’t have one’.
• While more than half (58.2%) said they were given the opportunity to discuss with a member of staff any worries or fears about their discharge, more than a third (35.5%) said they weren’t. Comments ranged from ‘I was scared and the staff talked me through everything, putting my mind at rest’ to ‘not completely as the discharge process seems very rushed’.
• More than half of respondents (51.3%) said they were given a contact number to call on the day of discharge if they had any concerns but again almost a third (30.3%) said they weren’t.
• A decent majority (60.3%) described their overall discharge experience as either very good or good, while a fifth 20.5% said it was either poor or very poor and 19.2% described it as fair.

The comments left reinforced the huge difference in the experiences patients had.

One said ‘the whole procedure was seamless, we couldn’t fault’ while another wrote ‘I was in a lot of pain and…I felt that the discharge procedure was a tick box exercise to get me off the ward and the nurse was following a leaving hospital checklist’.

Another patient described spending 11 hours in A&E with low oxygen levels before, after an overnight stay in the Emergency Ward, being left four hours in a corridor from where they were discharged. The patient described this as ‘the most humiliating and degrading experience of my life’.

A different respondent said they ‘felt hurried’ and were asked how they were getting home while another reported waiting seven hours from 10am to 5pm for medication.

Mixed reviews also came for the time spent in the Discharge Lounge, with more than half (57.8%) waiting less than an hour but nearly a quarter (24.4%) waiting more than two hours. An overwhelming majority (83.7%) said they were treated with kindness and compassion by the staff in the Discharge Lounge with only two respondents saying they weren’t.

The follow up question which asked overall how happy patients were with the care received in the discharge lounge again had an overwhelmingly positive view expressed with 82.9% describing it as very good or good compared to 8.5% responding poor or very poor.

There were a range of comments left, with positive feedback including ‘the discharge process was very thorough – all medication was prepared for us to take home’ and ‘the Discharge Lounge more than serves its purpose’.

Negative comments included ‘you can be told that you are being discharged in the morning but it could be late afternoon by the time your medication is prepared’ and ‘I was sent home in severe pain and without any medication and ended up in the RVI for four weeks’.

Report recommendations

Recommendations in our Hospital Discharge report based on the patient/relative feedback included improving the understanding of the discharge process by ensuring all patients receive a copy of the ‘One Step Closer to Home‘ booklet on admission – more than three-quarters (76%) of respondents said they didn’t.

There appeared to be a varying quality in the communication patients/carers received about the discharge process and we suggested a centralised discharge team was deployed to ensure consistency and take pressure off ward staff.

We found that any way of improving communication/planning between the wards discharging patients and the dispensing pharmacy so they do not face lengthy waits in the Discharge Lounge would undoubtedly improve the patient experience.

The report also notes the advice from the Patient Transport Service on the importance of hospital staff making booking patient transport a priority when arranging for a patient to be discharged to prevent them having long waits and providing as much patient information as possible to assist with a comfortable and safe transition from hospital into their home.

We have not yet received a formal response from South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust.

Download our hospital discharge report here.

The 95-apartment development will supply high-quality homes, designed for those who have additional support and care needs to live independently, with an on-site housing team.

Griffin Court, on the site of the former Lincoln Court scheme just behind Hebburn Central, will include 20 two-bed and 75 one-bed apartments, 17 of which will be specialist dementia apartments. All will be available for affordable rent.

The homes will be owned and managed by Karbon with South Tyneside Council’s Adult Social Care team supporting with the allocation of the apartments.

What is Extra Care housing?

Extra Care combines the independence of living in your own home with the reassurance that care and support is available onsite.

Residents have their own apartment, make their own choices about how they live and maintain control over their day-to-day lives. Care and support can be tailored to individual needs, helping people remain independent for longer.

Facilities

All apartments are accessible and have a level access shower, access to bathroom via bedroom, a balcony or terrace area and space for a washing machine.

Facilities will include:

• Large & modern residents’ lounge with access to the communal gardens
• Hairdressing salon
• Lifts to all floors
• 24/7 care team working onsite for peace of mind and delivering services
• Host of activity rooms and communal spaces and break-out rooms with a regular activities programme delivered by Karbon Homes staff
• Laundry facilities onsite and space for a washing machine in each apartment
• Landscaped communal gardens and courtyard gardens with raised beds and planters
• All communal areas are interior designed, with landscaped communal gardens
• Large onsite café, which will be open to the public and visitors, with outside space for al fresco dining in the summer
• Electric car charging points for customers and visitors use
• Pendant alarms will be supplied to all residents, alongside a video intercom system

Who can apply?

Applications are open to people aged 18 and over with assessed care and support needs and would benefit from living independently with support available when required, including:

• Older people who need additional support
• Adults with physical disabilities
• People living with dementia
• People with sensory support needs
• People with mental health support needs
• Residents who may otherwise struggle to remain independent at home
• Adults with learning disabilities

Griffin Court is a partnership between Karbon Homes and South Tyneside Council, with Robertson Construction North East appointed as the lead contractor for the development.

Download an information leaflet here: griffin-court-booklet-2

Find out more and apply here: https://www.karbonhomes.co.uk/extra-care-schemes/griffin-court-hebburn/

The first place to try is an NHS dentist, who provide urgent appointments during their normal working hours.

You should contact your regular dentist if you have one or you can look for an NHS dentist at nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist.

Book an appointment at an urgent dental access centre

Urgent dental access centres provide appointments to diagnose and treat urgent problems or deal with conditions that you might be worried about. They do not provide routine dental care, like check-ups.

You can use an urgent dental access centre if:
• You are not currently getting ongoing treatment from an NHS dentist
• You cannot get an urgent appointment at an NHS dentist

Children and adults can use urgent dental access centres.

The 23 centres across the North East and North Cumbria include:

Jarrow Urgent Dental Access Centre, Grange Road West Dental Practice, 6 Grange Road West, Jarrow, NE32 3JA
South Shields Urgent Dental Access Centre, 1a Dentist, 74 Fowler Street, South Shields, NE33 1PD

You can book your own appointment here: www.northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk/nhs-dentistry

Normal NHS charges and exemptions apply. Urgent dental access centres provide a limited number of urgent appointments Monday to Friday so only book if you need urgent care and will attend your appointment. If you do not attend your appointment, it means someone else with an urgent dental problem cannot get help.

Contact NHS 111

You should contact 111.nhs.uk or call 111 if you cannot find an urgent dental appointment with an NHS dentist or urgent dental access centre.

The NHS 111 health advisor will talk to you about your needs.

If you do not need help right away, we may give you advice on how to treat the problem yourself until you can get an appointment.

If you do need urgent help, we may be able to find you an appointment during normal working hours at an urgent dental access centre or at an out-of-hours treatment service.

Most general hospitals do not have an on-call service for dental pain so you should visit 111.nhs.uk or call 111 for emergency dental care.

You should only go to A&E or call 999 if you have:

• Serious injuries to your face, mouth, jaw or teeth
• Heavy bleeding from your mouth that will not stop
• Severe swelling of your mouth, lips, throat or neck, and you are having difficulty breathing or opening one or both eyes
• Any injury to your head or face that has caused you to lose consciousness, vomit, or have double vision

When should you ask for an urgent dental appointment?

You should make an urgent dental appointment if you have:

• Toothache that is so bad it causes pain that does not stop or ease with over-the-counter pain relief
• Swelling in the mouth or face, like abscesses or infections, that causes pain or fever
• Broken or knocked-out teeth
• Bleeding in the mouth after a dental procedure or injury that does not stop by itself – if bleeding cannot be controlled, you might need emergency care
• Loose or broken fillings that cause pain
• Heavy bleeding from gums
• Problems with the soft areas of the mouth, like cheeks or tongue

Urgent appointments are also available if you are worried about:

• Pain that does not go away but eases with over-the-counter pain relief
• Minor trauma like a chipped tooth
• Loose, broken or displaced crowns, bridges, veneers, posts, and fillings that do not cause pain
• Loose or broken dentures
• Bleeding gums

Visit: northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk/nhs-dentistry

Download an information leaflet here: urgent-dental-care-a5-leaflet

Download a translation in Arabic: https://northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk/media/j2if5sol/arabic.pdf

Download a translation in Bengali: https://northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk/media/xsgdqb3z/bengali.pdf

Download a translation in Kurdish: https://northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk/media/0wthibhq/kurdish.pdf

Download a translation in Spanish: https://northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk/media/j0lltjfg/spanish.pdf

Download a translation in Turkish: https://northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk/media/jkadhcar/turkish.pdf

Download a translation in Ukranian: https://northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk/media/ljgllpej/ukrainian.pdf

Suicide is a major public health problem with far-reaching social, emotional and economic consequences.

An estimated 727,000 people die by suicide each year worldwide, and each suicide profoundly affects many more people.

World Suicide Prevention Day is observed every year on September 10 to draw global attention to this issue and to reinforce the message that suicide is preventable.

The annual campaign runs until World Mental Health Day on October 10, though the message of awareness, support and action carries through every day of the year.

The theme for World Suicide Prevention Day 2026 is ‘Changing the Narrative on Suicide’. Changing the narrative is about transforming how this complex issue is understood, shifting from a culture of silence towards one of openness, empathy and support.

It aims to encourage individuals, communities, organisations and governments to engage in open and honest discussions about suicide and suicidal behaviour.

Find out more about the campaign here.

Get help from emergency and crisis support services

The Stay Alive app is a suicide prevention resource for the UK, packed full of useful information and tools to help you stay safe in crisis.

You can use it if you are having thoughts of suicide or if you are concerned about someone else who may be considering suicide.

Designed and created by charity Grassroots Suicide Prevention, Stay Alive is a confidential app. Download it here.