Who we are

Find out how Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust came about and what it means for us to be a Foundation Trust.

About us

CNTW provides a wide range of mental health, learning disability, Autism and neuro-rehabilitation services to a population of 1.8 million people across North Cumbria and the North East of England as well as providing specialist services nationally. We are one of the largest mental health and disability organisations in the country. We employ over 9,000 staff, operate from over 70 sites and provide a range of services including many regional and national services. The Trust has an annual turnover of around £647 million.

We support people in the communities of Cumbria, Northumberland, North Tyneside, Newcastle, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland and Middlesbrough working with a range of partners to deliver care and support to people in their own homes and from community and hospital-based premises.

The Trust moved from a structure based on four localities (North, South, Central and North Cumbria), to three operational Care Groups in 2024. These are:

  • Community Care Group
  • Inpatient Care Group
  • Specialist Care Group

Community Care Group

The new operating structure has one Community Care Group covering all seven ‘places’ and existing access and community CBUs. Places refers to what was previously known as localities (Newcastle, North Cumbria, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside, Gateshead, Sunderland). Integrated Care Systems (ICS) refer to ‘places’ as a geographic footprint which often aligns with a local authority area or patient flows for acute care. This is to allow Trusts across the country to work with partners to provide better joined up care in the places that people live and work.

One of the main drivers in the changes to the structure has been the ability to go further with our transformation of community services at place to deliver the aims of our Model of Care and Support. Strengthening of the leadership roles of the place directors, combined with the Clinical Business Units across community and access will be pivotal in implementing the changes to the Model of Care and support, including achieving real integration at place.

Inpatient Care Group

The new operating structure has one Inpatient Care Group covering all existing inpatient clinical business and will retain the existing locality inpatient clinical business units. The operational delivery, local knowledge and site leadership were critical factors influencing retaining the local leadership across the sites. The creation of a single in-patient group aligns inpatient care with the commissioning and delivery model across the Integrated Care System. It also allows increased focus on standardisation of approach, embedding a consistent approach to therapeutic, person-centred and recovery-focussed care, as set out in our Model of Care and Support.

Specialist Care Group

The new structure has one Specialist Care Group covering all of the provider collaborative commissioned services and specialist services across the Trust.

Our main sites are:

Our background

Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust was created back in 2006. This was through the merger of three different NHS trusts: Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland Mental Health NHS Trust; South of Tyne and Wearside Mental Health NHS Trust; and Northgate and Prudhoe NHS Trust.

The Trust achieved authorisation as an NHS Foundation Trust on 1 December 2009 as Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust.

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW) was formed on 1 October 2019 following the transfer of mental health and learning disability services from Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust.

What is a NHS Foundation Trust?

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust was given Foundation Trust status on 1 December, 2009.

NHS Foundation Trusts move decision-making from central Government to local organisations and communities. This was to make them more responsive to the needs and wishes of the people they serve.

Consequently, NHS Foundation Trusts are not under direction from the Secretary of State for Health. Instead, these Trusts build stronger connections with their local communities. Each NHS Foundation Trust has members made up of local people and staff, including patients and carers.

Free care, based on need and not ability to pay.

Core NHS principles

Members can stand for and elect the Trust’s board of governors. Governors represent the interests of the members and partner organisations in how the Foundation Trust is run. Communities and NHS staff  can therefore have a bigger say in the management and provision of Trust services in their area. NHS Foundation Trusts can then direct their services more closely to their communities. They have the freedom to develop new ways of working  so they can accurately reflect the needs and expectations of the people they serve.

Even though they are run locally, NHS Foundation Trusts remain fully part of the NHS. As a result, their main purpose is to provide care and services to patients and service users, according to core NHS principles – free care, based on need and not ability to pay.

Foundation Trust members and commissioners hold these Trusts to account. In addition, NHS England (the independent regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts) and Integrated Care Boards established in 2023 also have regulatory responsibilities for Provider organisations within their footprint. CNTW fall within the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System.

What is an Integrated Care System?

Now, more than ever before, health and care services need to work together to deliver the right care, at the right time and in the best place. The NHS Long Term Plan, makes it clear that integrated care systems (ICS) are central to bringing together local organisations, to redesign care and improve health.

Creating an ICS for the north east and north Cumbria is not about developing a new organisation or structure. It’s about looking at ways of working differently for the benefit of all patients and staff. An integrated care system will bring together health and social care organisations to agree joint priorities and decide how best to deliver efficient services where there is a common need or opportunity. By collaborating and making best use of combined resources, including technology, data, money and our workforce, we have a shared focus on improving the health and wellbeing of people in all communities.

An integrated care system will support joint decisions and make it easier to work ‘at scale’ on common issues which are bigger than one organisation or local authority area. Alongside the ICS, most work to plan and tailor care for local populations and communities will continue to be done through integrated care partnerships (ICPs) between hospital trusts, GPs, community-based health and care services and the third sector. The ICPs will also be working across local boundaries to reduce some of the costs associated with planning and delivering services, in addition to sharing what works best to improve the health of local people.