\n Chief executive Steve Russell has now answered questions on the trust\u2019s efforts to rebuild confidence, improve patient safety and address pressures across its hospitals.\n<\/p>\n
\n Chief executive of the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, Steve Russell (Image: Chris Booth\/NORTHERN ECHO)\n<\/p>\n
\n In this wide-ranging Q&A, he discusses whether staff feel able to raise concerns, changes made following the Supreme Court judgment in the trans row case, the response to CPE cases, hospital investment, corridor care, parking problems and the future role of Bishop Auckland Hospital.\n<\/p>\n
\n He also sets out what he would ask of the new Health Secretary and gives his message to patients, staff and the wider public.\n<\/p>\n
Here’s the Q&A:<\/p>\n
\n Are you confident you now have processes and systems in place so that staff who raise concerns will be listened to?\n<\/p>\n
\n Not completely, but we are better than we were.\n<\/p>\n
\n We have made a clear commitment to quality as our organising principle and to strengthening the connection between the board and the shop floor.\n<\/p>\n
\n We have encouraged people to speak to us. If you asked colleagues across the trust, you would probably receive a variable response.\n<\/p>\n
\n One positive is that contacts to our Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, Mel, have risen significantly. Many people also raise concerns directly with me, although it can take longer than I would like to deal with them all.\n<\/p>\n
\n There is pressure to make sure we act and close the loop.\n<\/p>\n
\n The Northern Echo interview chief executive of the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, Steve Russell (Image: Chris Booth\/NORTHERN ECHO)\n<\/p>\n
\n We are trying to be more present because you learn more by being with people than sitting in a boardroom.\n<\/p>\n
\n Once a month, we spend a morning, afternoon or evening shadowing teams. We have done that four times and learned a great deal about good care and issues that need addressing.\n<\/p>\n
\n We hold a weekly open staff call where people can ask anything. Every couple of months, we also hold a two-hour drop-in session.\n<\/p>\n
\n We have just completed 12 or 13 ‘roadshows’ across our sites to listen to colleagues.\n<\/p>\n
\n Are we perfect? No. There is still a lot to do, and concerns remain in parts of the organisation about speaking up. Some people are hesitant.\n<\/p>\n
\n The new leadership team must create an environment where people feel safe speaking to anyone and receive a good response when they do.\n<\/p>\n
\n We are not there yet, but we are better than we were.\n<\/p>\n
\n What has happened with facilities following the trans nurse row, and what changes have been made?\n<\/p>\n
\n After the judgment was published, we updated our policies and arrangements so that people use changing facilities reflecting their biological sex, in compliance with the law and judgment.\n<\/p>\n
\n We have introduced additional single, lockable facilities for staff who want to use them.\n<\/p>\n
\n Nurses (left to right) Carly Hoy, Lisa Lockey, Bethany Hutchison, Karen Danson, Annice Grundy and Jane Peveller (Image: Owen Humphreys)\n<\/p>\n
\n Although the policy and practice are that people use single-sex areas according to biological sex, we need to improve changing facilities across the trust.\n<\/p>\n
\n The facilities are not as good as they should be, but single sex means biological sex.\n<\/p>\n
\n Do you have any regrets about the trans row and the fact it went to a tribunal, costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds?\n<\/p>\n
\n It slightly predates me. When I joined, the tribunal was about to take place.\n<\/p>\n
\n It is easy to comment with hindsight, particularly when you were not there, but as we have publicly acknowledged, I do not think we handled it as well as we should have.\n<\/p>\n
\n We did not listen closely enough to every perspective or try hard enough to resolve the issues. People raised legitimate points that could and should have been handled differently.\n<\/p>\n
\n Dated: 22\/10\/2025 Seven nurses from Darlington Memorial Hospital leave the first day of a landmark employment tribunal at Newcastle County Court this evening (WED) after County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust permitted a male staff member, ide (Image: North News & Pictures Ltd)\n<\/p>\n
\n The trust\u2019s policy before the Supreme Court judgment was the same as that of most NHS organisations because it reflected the legal interpretation at the time.\n<\/p>\n
\n Despite that, colleagues\u2019 concerns should have been heard more closely and alternative options considered.\n<\/p>\n
\n The Supreme Court later changed the legal position, by which point the trust was many months into the process.\n<\/p>\n
\n I think colleagues became slightly entrenched in their views.\n<\/p>\n
\n Are people still experiencing problems using water, showering and washing at Darlington Memorial Hospital because of CPE?\n<\/p>\n
\n CPE is a problem across the NHS but has been a particular issue at Darlington, partly because of the building\u2019s age.\n<\/p>\n
\n That is not an excuse, but it creates challenges.\n<\/p>\n
\n The drinking water is safe. CPE is not present in the incoming water supply.\n<\/p>\n
\n We also agree that people should be able to shower.\n<\/p>\n
\n At the outbreak\u2019s height, it affected many people over a long period. CPE is generally not a risk to healthy people but can be dangerous for vulnerable hospital patients or those with compromised immunity.\n<\/p>\n
\n A Darlington woman was left on a trolley in Darlington Memorial Hospital’s A&E corridor for 18 hours (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)\n<\/p>\n
\n It is resistant to antibiotics and can be difficult to treat if it enters the bloodstream, with potentially serious outcomes.\n<\/p>\n
\n When a significant number of patients were carrying CPE, stringent measures were introduced, and advice was given to restrict showers.\n<\/p>\n
\n That restriction appears to have become common practice because staff thought it was expected to protect patients.\n<\/p>\n
\n We were not successful enough in communicating that showers are now permitted.\n<\/p>\n
\n They must be risk-assessed, but we should be offering patients showers.\n<\/p>\n
\n Are there any current CPE cases at Darlington?\n<\/p>\n
\n There is currently one outbreak on one ward, which is in its latter stages. Nine patients have been affected.\n<\/p>\n
\n There have been no new positive cases for several weeks, but we follow a stringent process to eliminate it.\n<\/p>\n
\n What is the solution to the CPE problem at Darlington Memorial Hospital?\n<\/p>\n
\n We bid nationally for capital funding because the hospital is old and requires considerable work, but the bid was unsuccessful.\n<\/p>\n
\n We have gone ahead and are replacing sinks. They will be removed from bays and placed in corridors, following the advice we received.\n<\/p>\n
\n Some showers have been upgraded, and all have undergone risk assessments to ensure water drains properly.\n<\/p>\n
\n We would like to upgrade every ward, but that requires significant investment.\n<\/p>\n
\n Upgrading all showers would cost about \u00a32 million, and we do not have enough capital funding to complete it at once.\n<\/p>\n
\n It will therefore be done through a rolling programme. Any showers found to drain less effectively have already been upgraded.\n<\/p>\n
\n The sink replacement programme begins this month.\n<\/p>\n
\n Can people drink the water and shower at Darlington Memorial Hospital?\n<\/p>\n
\n Yes, the water is safe to drink.\n<\/p>\n
\n If patients are told they should not shower but want to, they should ask to speak to the matron.\n<\/p>\n
\n A very small number may have conditions that place them at higher risk, but an alternative should then be found, possibly on another ward.\n<\/p>\n
\n People can and should be able to shower.\n<\/p>\n
\n The new Health Secretary is Yvette Cooper. What three priorities would you raise with her?\n<\/p>\n
\n Many hospitals urgently need capital investment, and we would ask for as much investment as possible.\n<\/p>\n
\n University Hospital of North Durham is 30 years old and in better condition than Darlington, which is a very old building.\n<\/p>\n
\n We also need time to make the changes we know are required. That is not an attempt to avoid our responsibility to improve things quickly.\n<\/p>\n
\n Health Secretary Yvette Cooper (Image: Kirsty Wigglesworth\/PA WIRE)\n<\/p>\n
\n We face challenges on several fronts, and some will take time to address. We are as impatient as anyone, but we must take colleagues with us, and some changes are difficult for them.\n<\/p>\n
\n Two things can be true. We can have experienced serious quality failings, with some patients still not receiving the right care, while many other patients receive good care because staff do a good job every day.\n<\/p>\n
\n We would ask for balance.\n<\/p>\n
\n How are you trying to bring about change within the trust?\n<\/p>\n
\n We are as impatient as anyone, but it is like turning a tanker.\n<\/p>\n
\n Many things we have focused on during the past six or seven months will be invisible to patients and staff.\n<\/p>\n
\n They concern the safeguards [governance specialist] Mary Aubrey highlighted to prevent things going wrong, including board governance, committees, challenge from non-executive directors and risk management.\n<\/p>\n
\n Much of that work is invisible, and we have not yet completed it.\n<\/p>\n
\n Can Bishop Auckland Hospital be reopened to full capacity?\n<\/p>\n
\n It is unlikely Bishop Auckland Hospital will reopen as a full emergency hospital.\n<\/p>\n
\n It originally had that role, but it changed for several reasons, and those reasons have not changed.\n<\/p>\n
\n Bishop Auckland Hospital (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)\n<\/p>\n
\n Bishop Auckland still has an important role. It was accredited several months ago as an elective hub.\n<\/p>\n
\n We carry out many planned procedures there, including hip and knee operations and some general surgery.\n<\/p>\n
\n Because it does not compete with emergency admissions, using Bishop Auckland to reduce planned surgery waiting times is our strategy.\n<\/p>\n
\n A two-storey extension at University Hospital of North Durham was approved in 2023, but the planning permission has expired. What is happening?\n<\/p>\n
\n The accident and emergency department is not fit for purpose.\n<\/p>\n
\n Staff do an incredible job, but we are uncomfortable with the environment in which they work and in which patients receive care.\n<\/p>\n
\n When the case for the new Durham centre was developed, the trust was arguably in a stronger financial position and expected to borrow the money.\n<\/p>\n
\n University Hospital of North Durham in Durham City (Image: Chris Booth\/NORTHERN ECHO)\n<\/p>\n
\n There was a business case, but no funding.\n<\/p>\n
\n The way NHS capital is allocated has since changed, and borrowing money is now much more difficult.\n<\/p>\n
\n The necessary level of capital was not made available, and the planning permission expired.\n<\/p>\n
\n Something must be done at the Durham hospital site, but because the original business case had no funding, we must start again.\n<\/p>\n
\n We would probably need to do that anyway because the updated cost was estimated at between \u00a360 million and \u00a380 million, which is unlikely to be affordable.\n<\/p>\n
\n What do you say to patients receiving treatment in corridors?\n<\/p>\n
\n None of us thinks corridor care is acceptable.\n<\/p>\n
\n It is undignified and not where we want to be.\n<\/p>\n
\n It is a problem affecting many trusts, but we have said we want to reduce its prevalence during this year.\n<\/p>\n
\n Is the NHS sustainable?\n<\/p>\n
\n I want to say yes because I fundamentally believe in what the NHS represents.\n<\/p>\n
\n My mother was an NHS nurse, and my first job was as an NHS receptionist. That experience made me want to work in the health service.\n<\/p>\n
\n The answer I want to give is yes, but we must find a different way to care for people with multiple conditions.\n<\/p>\n
\n Hospital is not always the correct place for them, although it is for some.\n<\/p>\n
\n That is what the ten-year plan is trying to address.\n<\/p>\n
\n If we achieve that, the answer becomes a firmer yes.\n<\/p>\n
\n If we do not, questions arise about the resources required to provide good care under the current model and whether that remains possible.\n<\/p>\n
\n I still think it is possible, and I hope it is.\n<\/p>\n
\n What is happening with parking across the trust, including at University Hospital of North Durham and Darlington Memorial Hospital?\n<\/p>\n
\n There have been teething problems.\n<\/p>\n
\n The changes are probably working better for patients than staff. Both sites now have more patient parking, but that has reduced access for staff.\n<\/p>\n
\n At Durham, the park-and-ride and spaces at County Hall help. People would prefer to park on site, but the alternatives are not far away.\n<\/p>\n
\n Darlington is more difficult because there are no off-site parking options.\n<\/p>\n
\n We are reviewing staff permits to make sure we do not issue too many, which contributes to congestion, and encouraging different ways of travelling to work.\n<\/p>\n
\n We are also exploring the feasibility of parking decks at both sites.\n<\/p>\n
\n They would be expensive, creating difficult choices between spending money on parking or facilities such as showers.\n<\/p>\n
\n Parking is better for patients, but not yet right for staff.\n<\/p>\n
\n What is your final message to readers?\n<\/p>\n
\n We hear you.\n<\/p>\n
\n We are here for the same reason and care about the same things.\n<\/p>\n
\n We are as impatient as you are, and we have considerable work to do to raise every service to the standards already experienced by some patients.\n<\/p>\n
\n It will take time.\n<\/p>\n
\n Throughout that journey, we want to listen to people and their experiences. We will be honest about where we are making progress and where challenges remain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Chief executive Steve Russell has now answered questions on the trust\u2019s efforts to rebuild confidence, improve patient safety…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":732852,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[102,2960,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-732851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-health","tag-healthcare","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/732851","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=732851"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/732851\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/732852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=732851"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=732851"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=732851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}