At Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW), we are committed to delivering high-quality, compassionate care that meets the needs of our service users, carers, staff, and communities. Each year, we set out our Quality Priorities—key areas where we aim to improve care and outcomes.
We want to hear from you.
What Are Quality Priorities?
Quality Priorities are the areas we focus on to improve safety, effectiveness, and experience of care. They are developed with input from staff, service users, carers, and partners, and are aligned with our Trust strategy: With You in Mind.
Our Progress in 2024/25
In 2024/25, we focused on improving safety, embedding compassionate and trauma-informed care, and strengthening support for carers and staff. Some highlights include:
- Reduced restrictive practices, including mechanical restraint and seclusion
- Increased carer engagement, with carer awareness training made mandatory
- Expanded trauma-informed training, reaching over 200 staff and leadership teams
- Embedded research and learning, with popular webinars and a sold-out regional conference
- Improved physical healthcare, with a new strategy and collaborative summits
Our Proposed Quality Priorities for 2025/26
We’ve identified the following priorities for the coming year, based on what we’ve learned from our staff, service users, and national guidance:
- Strengthen communication with families and carers, especially during times of deterioration.
- Embed a positive and safe culture across all services.
- Promote person-centred, co-produced care planning.
- Develop consistent, evidence-based risk assessment and safety planning.
- Improve physical healthcare for all service users.
- Reduce restrictive practices and violence and aggression.
- Reduce self-harm and improve support for those affected.
- Improve early recognition and response to deteriorating patients.
- Continue to improve sexual safety and reduce incidents.
- Enhance care for people with severe and enduring mental illness.
We also aim to:
- Improve transitions and handovers between services.
- Strengthen therapeutic engagement and observation.
- Reduce risks related to sedative medication and clozapine.
- Support staff wellbeing through compassionate leadership and access to resources.
Why Your Views Matter
Your feedback helps us ensure these priorities reflect what matters most to the people we serve. Whether you’re a service user, carer, staff member, partner, or member of the public, your voice can shape how we deliver care.
How to Get Involved
We’d love to hear your thoughts on:
- Do these priorities reflect what’s important to you?
- Are there any areas you feel we’ve missed?
- How can we better involve you in improving care?
You can submit your feedback on our priorities to [email protected] by Friday 27 June.
Thank you for taking the time to support our commitment to quality care. Together, we can make care safer, more compassionate, and more person-centred.
Sarah Rushbrooke
Executive Director of Nursing, Therapies and Quality Assurance