Annual aims and priorities 2026 to 2027

At Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, we are focused on improving the quality of care we provide. 

Our priorities are based on our long‑term ambitions to: 

• provide high quality care every day 

• support people in the right place, at the right time 

• be a great place to work 

• ensure our services are sustainable for the future 

• work closely with our communities 

For 2026 to 2027, we will focus on the following key areas:

Providing safe, high quality care 

We will continue to improve the safety and quality of care people receive. This includes: 

• improving how we assess and manage risk, so care is tailored to each person’s needs 
• reducing self‑harm, violence and restrictive practices 
• making sure people feel safe and well supported in our services 
• improving diagnosis and ensuring people receive the right treatment 
• learning from incidents and sharing that learning across the organisation 

These priorities will help ensure care is safer, more consistent and centred on each individual.  

Improving access and community support 

We want people to get the help they need earlier and closer to home.

We will: 

• improve access to mental health support through neighbourhood services 
• strengthen community services for people with complex and long‑term mental health needs 
• improve urgent mental health care and crisis support 
• continue shifting care from hospital settings into the community where appropriate 
• improve pathways for rehabilitation and secure care 

This will help reduce waiting times, avoid unnecessary hospital admissions and provide care in the least restrictive setting. 

Supporting our staff and improving workplace culture 

Providing high quality care depends on our staff feeling supported. We will: 

• build a compassionate and inclusive workplace 
• support staff to speak up and be heard 
• improve attendance and wellbeing 
• provide leadership development and training 
• ensure fair and consistent people practices 

This will help improve staff morale, consistency of care and patient experience.  

Making our services sustainable 

We are committed to making sure our services are strong and sustainable for the future. We will: 

• manage our finances responsibly 
• modernise buildings and make best use of our estate 
• improve digital systems to support better care 
• reduce our environmental impact and work towards net zero 
• strengthen research and innovation 

These priorities will help us continue delivering high quality care in the long term.  

Working with communities and
reducing inequalities 

We want to make sure everyone can access and benefit from our services fairly. We will: 

• take action to reduce inequalities in access, experience and outcomes 
• work closely with local partners and communities 
• strengthen our role in neighbourhood health services 
• support people from different backgrounds to access care earlier 

This will help ensure our services are inclusive and meet the needs of all our communities.