James Cook NHS Hospital

16/03/2026

Claire Beevis is a haematology nurse specialist at The James Cook University Hospital. Her 30-year career has seen her dedicated to supporting patients across the North East with blood and bone marrow cancers. 💙

When asked about the highlights of her current role, Claire said: “My role enables me to support patients with care closer to home. I feel it’s an important role gaining a trusted rapport with our patients and being able to assess them in their own surroundings, preventing hospital admissions through timely assessment following chemotherapy and avoiding outpatient appointments to many transfusion dependent patients.

“I work in a supportive and friendly team, who all strive to work together to streamline patient care and enable our often scared, frail and unwell patients to spend as much time at home as possible. We also administer some chemotherapy treatments at home to avoid patients attending via hospital transport, helping to reduce capacity within the haematology day unit.”

𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿

Claire began her nursing training with Northumbria University in September 1993, aged 21 – having previously worked for a shipping firm, completing clerical duties. The three-year course saw her qualify with a higher education diploma in September 1996, and Claire was taken on at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle on the haematology and bone marrow transplant unit.

She made the move to Teesside two-years later, joining South Cleveland Hospital (as our James Cook site was previously known). Here Claire worked across various wards, undertaking additional training and ultimately a degree in cancer care. She then went on to become ward sister on ward 14, becoming one of the hospital’s first chemotherapy assessors.

After a departure into primary care work, Claire re-joined us at James Cook in 2010, working between the haematology day unit and haematology outreach nursing service. In own her words: “The GP surgery was a massive shift from the acute haematology I was used to and although it was an enjoyable and fulfilling role, I always knew I would return to haematology.”

Claire has since completed a master’s degree in advanced practice. She also became one of the first nurses at our site to complete training which allows her to prescribe blood transfusions.

16/03/2026

PLEASE SHARE: We are extremely busy today, treating a high number of people in our A&E at James Cook Hospital.

Help us keep A&E for genuine emergencies such as:
✅ Signs of a heart attack: chest pain, pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across the chest
✅ Signs of a stroke: face dropping on one side, cannot hold both arms up, difficulty speaking
✅ Sudden confusion: cannot be sure of own name or age
✅ Su***de attempt: by taking something or self-harming
✅ Severe difficulty breathing: not being able to get words out, choking or gasping
✅ Choking: on liquids or solids right now
✅ Heavy bleeding: spraying, pouring or enough to make a puddle
✅ Severe injuries: after a serious accident or assault
✅ Seizure (fit): shaking or jerking because of a fit, or unconscious (cannot be woken up)
✅ Sudden, rapid swelling: of the lips, mouth, throat or tongue

If you have a life-threatening emergency, call 999.

If you need urgent care but are not sure where to go, use NHS 111.

16/03/2026

Today we’re shining a spotlight on our cancer clinical nurse specialists as part of National Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Day.

Neuro-oncology clinical nurse specialist Sue Ellis began her nursing career at James Cook in 1998, working in upper gastro-intestinal surgery for 12 years and then in the surgical admissions unit for a further nine years. 💙

Balancing life as a single parent, Sue predominantly worked night shifts – and when her daughter turned 12, she began to think about the next steps in her career.

With an interest in supporting cancer patients, she pursued a path in cancer nursing and gained a post within oncology outpatients. Here, she reconnected with a previous colleague – a neuro-oncology specialist nurse.

Sue said: “She mentioned her colleague was due to retire and she did her best to try and persuade me to apply for a support sister role in her team.

“My reaction was ‘absolutely not, I know nothing about brains!’ Then they mentioned I would need to do my degree and that put me right off.”

After leaving the hospital, Sue was contacted by another of the specialist nurses in neuro-oncology. The post was now being advertised.

She continued: “I gave myself a stern talking to and thought, ‘why can’t I try?’

“Nearly five and a half years later, here I am. A neuro-oncology specialist nurse, with my degree. I’d still say I don’t know a lot about brains but as someone once told me, you don’t need to, you just need to care.

“I work alongside a fabulous team of nurses and allied health professionals who genuinely all give 100% to our patients and families. I still often pinch myself as I can’t quite believe I’m here.

“For quite some time, in my early career, I never quite felt I knew where I fitted in. I worked in Windsor for some time where everyone thought my accent was hilarious, I worked in the Shetland Islands and even spent three months as a medic in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, which helped me get over my fear of spiders!

“Now, I absolutely feel that life has a way of setting you on the right path and I can’t imagine working anywhere else. Neuro-oncology is an emotionally challenging speciality, but what I experience is incomparable to the significant, life changing challenges our patients and their families endure.”

𝗦𝘂𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗱𝗼𝗺

“My advice to anyone would be believe in yourself, don’t ever doubt how much is possible and how much you’re capable of. If you have the passion and determination, you can do anything to put your mind to.

“I was lucky that someone saw something in me which I couldn’t see myself and I’m very grateful they could.”

15/03/2026

Join us on Wednesday 18 March 10am to 12noon at the Stockton Wellbeing Hub and let us know matters to you most about your hospital and healthcare services.

We want to know what do we do well but also what we could do better.

It’s your chance to make your voice heard.

The event link below also has a link to an online survey if you can’t join us in person.

www.nth.nhs.uk/events/listening-event-stockton-wellbeing-hub

13/03/2026

From dialysis three to four times a day, to now exercising three to four times a week 💙

In honour of , we spoke to inspirational cancer care lead Lyndsey H***e from University Hospitals Tees who shared how living kidney donation transformed her life.

As she celebrates her 10 year transplant anniversary, Lyndsey is on a mission to get ten people signed up to the organ donation register; one person for every year of her transplant.

She said: “I’m sharing my story to inspire those waiting for a transplant to never give up and to encourage more people to have the conversation with their family about donating their organs.

Since her transplant, Lyndsey has used her experience to help thousands of patients, families and carers access personalised care during diagnosis, during treatment, beyond and palliative across University Hospitals Tees.

To register your interest in living kidney donation, visit the NHS Blood and Transplant website and search 'become a living donor.'

➡️ Read Lyndsey's story here: https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/news/nhs-worker-celebrates-10-year-transplant-anniversary-with-a-powerful-plea-for-living-organ-donors/

13/03/2026

We want to know what we do well and where we could do better.

Please join us at one of the following listening events and share your views about your local health care offer and how you would like it to look in the future

👉 Wednesday 18 March – Stockton Wellbeing Hub from 10am to 12noon
👉 Thursday 19 March – Hartlepool College of Further Education from 9am to 12noon
👉 Wednesday 25 March – Middlesbrough Central Library from 9am to 12noon
👉 Tuesday 31 March – Redcar Library and Community Hub from 9am to 12noon

This link also includes a survey if you cannot join us in person.

University Hospitals Tees is holding public listening events to encourage our communities to help shape the future of healthcare services.

12/03/2026

Family and friends of Reuben Harvey have raised over £13,500 for our neonatal unit in his memory. 🤍

Following Reuben’s passing, his parents, Rebecca Hanley and Andrew Harvey, have dedicated themselves to fundraising for other babies and families in Reuben’s memory and to thank the staff who looked after him.

They recently walked 22-miles from our unit to Spennymoor Football Club in seven and a half hours.

Rebecca said: "We are incredibly grateful for every single person that has supported us along the way. It’s helped us heal a little bit knowing how much everyone will remember Reuben even though they didn’t meet him.”

Read more about Reuben on our website: https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/news/friends-and-family-raise-over-13000-in-reubens-memory/

12/03/2026

What matters to you most about the hospital and healthcare services in your local area? What do we do well? What could we do better? Which services should we now be providing online?

Complete our Caring Better Together survey and help us shape the future of University Hospitals Tees.

https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/patients-visitors/patient-feedback/caring-better-together-survey/

11/03/2026

A smoke-free life starts with a smoke-free day, and No Smoking Day is here. Make today your quit day.

If you would like to make a fresh quit attempt, visit the fresh website to find support services across South Tees: https://www.freshquit.co.uk/ways-to-quit/local-support/ or alternatively, you can contact 01642 727579 to access expert smoking cessation support.

11/03/2026

We are shining a spotlight on Sandra Robinson, ward 24 neurosurgery, who is celebrating 30 years this year since being qualified as a registered nurse.

Nominated for our Wonder Woman Awards, she believes to have been very fortunate since the day she qualified to have worked within the neurosciences. 💜

She said: “I continue to embrace the challenge of the ward manager and advocate for a positive professional working environment. The role consists of the day-to-day running of the ward, managing a daily elective surgical programme, with the addition of emergency admissions – given that this is a specialist sub-regional unit.”

When asked if she could share some words of wisdom, she added: “A ward manager’s success can only be measured through their team’s success.

“Throughout my career, my team’s wellbeing has always been at the forefront. I feel I always promote a positive professional working atmosphere. I encourage honesty, openness and transparency, and I demonstrate a passion regarding the patient experience.”

11/03/2026

Today is No Smoking Day and we would like to remind you that all our hospital sites and surrounding grounds are smokefree.

We offer stop smoking advice and ni****ne replacement therapy (NRT) to improve and protect the health of our patients, staff and visitors.

For more information, visit https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/patients-visitors/visitors/smoke-free/

10/03/2026

As we continue to celebrate some of our colleagues nominated for this year’s Wonder Woman Awards, we’d like to introduce Jo Ingledew. 💜

Jo is an assistant practitioner and has worked in our cardiology department for almost 33 years.

She began her career in the NHS as a porter while studying at college, then moved into a healthcare assistant role. Following this she was inspired to complete a foundation degree in healthcare sciences to help her gain her current role.

She was nominated for our 2026 Wonder Woman Awards. Part of her nomination reads: “A familiar phrase is 'Ask Jo' or 'Jo will know'. She knows a great deal and if she doesn't know, she'll find out. Service with a smile, we love her dearly, our Jo.”

Jo is also a staff wellness ambassador and helps support colleagues and life morale through welfare Wednesdays and Feral Fridays. In her own time she goes above and beyond for her colleagues as well as patients.

If I could tell her younger self something, Jo would say: “Trust the timing of your life. You don’t need to have everything figured out, just keep taking the next step. Be kinder to yourself than you think you need to be. The setbacks you face will one day become your strength. Protect your energy, celebrate the little wins, and never shrink to fit. “