Publish date: 7 March 2024
Northumbria Healthcare receives prestigious NHS Pastoral Care Quality Award for support to international nurses and midwives
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has been recognised for their commitment to providing best practice pastoral support to international nurses and midwives through the NHS Pastoral Care Quality Award.
This prestigious award recognises the work being carried out across the trust to ensure international nurses and midwives receive enhanced and tailored pastoral care as they start their NHS journey and begin their career.
The trust first welcomed a group of international nurses 20 years ago, with colleagues arriving from Singapore and the Philippines to cover five hospitals including North Tyneside, Morpeth, Wansbeck, Hexham, and Alnwick Infirmary.
After a pause, the Trust restarted their international recruitment scheme in 2023 welcoming nurses from India, Zimbabwe and Swaziland.
Ruthie Cuaycong was one of the nurses to join the trust through the international recruitment scheme in February 2004. Ruthie started working at North Tyneside General Hospital and has since gone on to progress as a nurse practictioner at The Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington.
Ruthie said, “It’s brilliant that the trust has been recognised for it’s support and education to international nurses and midwives. Northumbria were incredibly supportive when I first joined by providing pre-arranged accommodation for when I first arrived and providing me with a mentor who supported with my nursing work on the ward and my academic work with Northumbria University.
“20 years on I now work as a nurse practitioner at The Northumbria Hospital, and this has been made possible thanks to the support and help from the trust.”
Support offered by Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust includes in-house training and support for internationally educated nurses and midwives. As well as providing temporary on-site accommodation and a welcome pack which includes food vouchers, bedding, and warm clothing such as a fleece and a scarf.
Elaine Henderson, director of nursing at Northumbria Healthcare said: “We are delighted that the Trust has been recognised for its hard work in improving the experience of our international colleagues through this prestigious award.
“We understand that moving across the world to come and work in our hospitals must be a massive adjustment which is why it’s incredibly important that our international colleagues feel supported throughout their Northumbria journey.”
The NHS Pastoral Care Quality Award is part of NHS England International Recruitment Programme. This programme supports NHS organisations to increase and develop their international recruitment plans. Once a trust receives this award, they will be reassessed every three years.
Media contact
Emily Lavin, marketing and communications officer
emily.lavin@northumbria-healthcare.nhs.uk or 07887985929