James Cook NHS Hospital

06/11/2025

Our lung cancer nursing team have raised more than £10,000 to help bring people affected by lung cancer together.

They recently launched support groups across Middlesbrough and Northallerton to give people with a lung cancer diagnosis, a safe space to connect with others.

The ‘lungs and life’ group runs twice a month and is open to patients diagnosed or treated for lung cancer at James Cook or the Friarage as well as their families and carers.

This was all made possible after the team organised a spectacular summer charity ball which raised over £10,000 with support from lots of local businesses, patients, public and staff working across University Hospitals Tees.

The money raised was split evenly between Macmillan Cancer Support and Our Hospitals Charity; the fundraising arm of South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Read the full story:

An inspirational team of lung cancer nurses from Teesside have raised more than £10,000 to help bring people affected by lung cancer together.

06/11/2025

Our A&E department at James Cook is busy and experiencing high volumes of attendances ⚠️

Please share this message andhelp to keep the department free for serious injuries and emergencies by following the below guidance:

➡️Think NHS 111 online 111.nhs.uk
➡️Pharmacists can give advice and treatment for a range of minor illnesses.
➡️If you have a life-threatening emergency you should continue to call 999.

Our urgent treatment centres (UTCs) are also open seven days a week to help you with minor illnesses and minor injuries. Find your nearest UTC and its opening times here https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/services/urgent-and-emergency/minor-illnesses-and-injuries/

05/11/2025

“Am I going to die?” was the first question that Jessica Beck asked the medical team after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016.

She said: “My children were aged nine and four years at the time. Being so young, I felt that I was alone, as we always associate breast cancer with women over 50.”

According to a study, most women are unaware of breast cancer symptoms beyond a lump, with less awareness of other signs such as ni**le discharge, skin thickening and changes in breast size or shape.

This was the same problem faced by Jessica, as she was unaware of the other symptoms of breast cancer.

As part of her treatment, she underwent intense chemotherapy for six months, mastectomy, a surgical procedure to remove her left breast and the cancerous lymph nodes in her breast, and then three weeks of radiotherapy, which was followed by her ovaries being removed – as a precaution due to the extent of her cancer.

The treatment did not end here as she had her breast removed and had to undergo a double breast reconstruction in 2017.

She said: “The initial fallout of such a diagnosis and gruelling treatment regimens can turn your world upside down, but I had a good support network with family, friends and the breast team."

Read her inspirational journey and how she is urging men and women to have their symptoms checked: https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/news/am-i-going-to-die-nurse-urges-women-to-get-checked-after-breast-cancer-diagnosis/

05/11/2025

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:

1. Signs of a heart attack: chest pain, pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across the chest

2. Signs of a stroke: face dropping on one side, cannot hold both arms up, difficulty speaking

3. Sudden confusion: cannot be sure of own name or age

4. Su***de attempt: by taking something or self-harming

5. Severe difficulty breathing: not being able to get words out,
choking or gasping

6. Choking: on liquids or solids right now

7. Heavy bleeding: spraying, pouring or enough to make a puddle

8. Severe injuries: after a serious accident or assault

9. Seizure (fit): shaking or jerking because of a fit, or unconscious (cannot be woken up)

10. 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.

For minor injuries visit our urgent treatment centres: https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/services/urgent-and-emergency/minor-illnesses-and-injuries/urgent-care-in-the-tees-valley/

05/11/2025

Remember remember, stay safe this fifth of November.🎆

Leave fireworks to the professionals and attend an organised display. Find a display near you: www.clevelandfire.gov.uk/safety/outdoor-safety/firework-displays

If you do choose to do your own display, always follow Cleveland Fire Brigade UK’s health and safety advice:

👉 Do not buy fireworks from unlicensed retailers and always follow instructions carefully
👉 Think, don’t drink - alcohol and fireworks do not mix
👉 Stay alert - always supervise children around fireworks
👉 Stand back - keep behind safety cordons in the appropriate area
👉 Keep your four-legged friends indoors
👉 Never throw fireworks - it is dangerous
👉 Never give sparklers to a child under the age of 5

Have a great night and please stay safe - we don't want to see you in A&E.

04/11/2025

Our A&E department at James Cook is busy and experiencing high volumes of attendances.

A&E is for serious injuries and life-threatening emergencies, such as:

✅loss of consciousness
✅acute confused state and fits that are not stopping
✅chest pain
✅breathing difficulties
✅severe bleeding that cannot be stopped
✅severe allergic reactions
✅severe burns or scalds
✅stroke
✅major trauma such as a road traffic accident

Please help to keep the department free for serious injuries and emergencies by following the below guidance:

➡️Think NHS 111 online 111.nhs.uk
➡️Pharmacists can give advice and treatment for a range of minor illnesses.
➡️If you have a life-threatening emergency you should continue to call 999.

31/10/2025

Smoking on a hospital site?

Young Phoebe has a message for you!

?

28/10/2025

A huge thank you to Harley Muscroft and his family and friends for raising over £8,000 for our children's unit 💙.

When Harley was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes earlier this year, it was a shock for him and his family. But instead of letting it hold him back, Harley turned his experience into something inspiring.

Determined to give something back and to help other children going through the same thing, Harley organised a sponsored walk from Whitby to Sandsend.

Louise Finn, paediatric diabetes specialist nurse, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Harley and his family. As well as raising an incredible amount of money, thanks to Harley other families have had their children tested for type 1 diabetes – which could be live saving.”

Read more about Harley's fundraising on our website: https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/news/childrens-diabetes-patient-raises-over-8000/

27/10/2025

“My dad only had an hour left for his life”

On 29 September, Claire Lambert received a very distressing call from her mum Maureen after her dad, Thomas Lambert collapsed at the local bus stop in the early morning.

When Claire asked her dad what happened, Thomas described the entire episode as a ‘funny spell’ and told everyone that he would get better if he just slept again.

But Claire spotted that her dad’s hand was scrunched, which meant the hand had become stiff and resisted stretching.

Thanks to her years of experience in the NHS, Claire instantly knew something was wrong and called NHS 111 for medical advice at 12.44pm, who sent an ambulance to their house and took him to the University Hospital of North Tees.

The stroke team led by Dr Sarah Whitehouse informed Thomas and his family that he had suffered a right total anterior circulation stroke due to blockage from a blood clot.

This is a severe type of ischemic stroke that potentially could damage up to a third of the brain.

The team also told Thomas’s family that if he was not treated within the four-and-a-half-hour window, he was at risk of facing severe brain damage that could cause severe paralysis or further extreme complications.

Following the initial treatment which did not work for Thomas, he was urgently sent to the James Cook Hospital for an advanced surgery – with less than an hour left to remove his blood clot and to avoid paralysis, brain death and further complications.

But thanks to a collaborative effort, Thomas successfully underwent a pioneering procedure at 4.34pm that saved his life.

Read more: https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/news/dads-life-saved-from-the-cusp-of-severe-brain-damage-after-familys-quick-thinking/

26/10/2025

👻Make sure your little monster is ready for a frightfully fun Halloween!
Children aged 2–3 can get a free flu nasal spray – quick, safe, and needle-free! Don’t let flu spoil their spooky fun! candy

Find out more and book today: https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/child-flu-vaccine/

25/10/2025

Two midwives from our trust have been recognised for their commitment to improving maternity care for patients and their families with awards from the Iolanthe Midwifery Trust.

Clinical midwife Afshan Ali who is also a part-time midwifery lecturer at
received the Iolanthe/Royal College of Midwives Jean Davies Award for her commitment to addressing health inequalities.

Along with her co-applicant, Susan Holbourn, she will help to develop and deliver structured equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) training for midwifery academic staff.

Afshan said: “Our goal is to create a more inclusive curriculum that acknowledges diverse methods of care and empowers midwives across the region to understand and respect the diverse needs of the populations they serve, which will ultimately lead to better health outcomes for patients and their families.”

Whilst Emma-Bliss Harding who recently joined our trust a midwife after qualifying from Teesside University, received a Iolanthe Midwifery Trust student award for her commitment to improving local services.

She said: " The Iolanthe student award which will aid in providing students, midwives and midwifery lecturers much needed education in how to better care for and support global majority maternity patients and babies and help build a better understanding into the health disparities that they face."

Read more:

Inspirational midwives from Teesside have been recognised for their commitment to improving maternity care for patients and their families.

24/10/2025

A big congratulations to all our winners and everyone who was nominated at the University Hospitals Tees Love Admin Awards. 🏆

During a special awards ceremony, we celebrated our administration staff for their invaluable contribution and commitment to supporting the delivery of safe and effective patient care both in back and front office services.

Amongst those celebrated on the day were resource co-ordinator Kellie Jordan who received the lifetime achievement award for her 30-years of service working at James Cook and Julie Poole who has worked at for over 39 years.

💬Group chief strategy officer and deputy chief executive officer for University Hospitals Tees, Matt Neligan said: “Our administrative colleagues work tirelessly to ensure our teams and services run as smoothly as possible.

💬“They are our unsung heroes, and it was an honour to celebrate their achievements at our first-ever University Hospitals Tees Love Admin awards. Their nominations were filled with stories of innovation, compassion and dedication."

➡️To find a full list of the winners, visit our website: https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/news/nhs-unsung-heroes-honoured-at-special-awards-celebration/ See less

Inspirational ‘unsung heroes’ across the Tees Valley have been honoured for their commitment to improving patient care.