About Us

Welcome to The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK, offering a wider range of specialist services than any other group of hospitals outside London. Our Cardiothoracic Centre at the Freeman Hospital is only unit in the UK to provide the full range of Cardiothoracic Surgery for both adults and children including heart and lung transplantation. And in the autumn of 2011 the UK's very first Institute of Transplantation opened its doors at the Freeman to provide the very best outcomes for patients and increase use of donor organs. The Freeman is also home to the Northern Centre for Cancer Care which provides leading edge cancer treatment for patients from all over the North East. The Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) is a designated level one Trauma Centre which comprises a brand new Emergency Department - one of the busiest in the country, dealing with over 75,000 patients in need of urgent care every year - and our state of the art Neurosciences Centre, Orthopaedic Centre and Critical Care Suite.

The RVI also has one of the UK's largest Maternity Units, providing the best start in life to the city's smallest as well as the magnificent new Great North Children's Hospital - an amazing copper green structure which looks after our younger generation. But we're much more than a provider of local care. We're recognised nationally as a centre of healthcare excellence, with more than 30% of our patients coming here from outside the region, to take advantage of our expertise, and some patients come from as far afield as the USA and the Middle East. Newcastle has a long-standing reputation for high quality clinical care and our staff's commitment to excellence is reflected in our consistent performance at the highest level. We were delighted to be rated in the top 10% of all UK hospitals by the Healthcare Commission in 2011 for the 11th consecutive year - one of only five trusts in the country to achieve this.

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the most successful, teaching NHS Trusts in the country offering more nationally accredited specialist services than any other group of hospitals in the UK. Our hospitals have over 1,800 beds and we manage over one million patient ‘engagements' every year. The Trust has long established credentials in providing innovative, high standard healthcare, including community services and primary care. Yet despite our size, complexity and national position we remain committed to the healthcare needs of local people. Our flagship services include the Cardiothoracic Centre at the Freeman Hospital – the only centre in the UK to provide all complex cardiopulmonary surgery including heart and lung transplants for both children and adults – and the superb new Great North Children's Hospital which cares for our younger generation for the whole region as far north as Berwick in the borders and across to Cumbria in the west and down into North Yorkshire on the south end of the region. A major Trauma Centre has recently opened at the Royal Victoria Infirmary serving a population of more than 3 million. Delivering high profile national services through experts in their field The Trust attracts and retains some of the country's most highly respected healthcare experts, with clinical teams led by nearly 750 consultants – 160 of whom are honorary academic consultants based at Newcastle University - all at the cutting edge, nationally and internationally, for the latest developments in the fields of ageing, stem cell, cancer, genetics and transplantation. With a staff base of around 13,500, the Newcastle Hospitals is one of the region's major employers and we have a long-standing reputation for high quality clinical care with our staff's commitment to excellence reflected in our consistent performance at the highest level. This year, we were delighted to be awarded a Top 40 Hospital rating for the 11th successive year - one of only five trusts in the country to achieve this.