May 2026 Board Papers

Date and time

Thursday 21 May 2026 at 10:00

Venue

Bernicia House, The Waterfront, Goldcrest Way, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE15 8 NY

If you require further information or need the meeting papers in a different format, please email kathryn.cawthorn@neas.nhs.uk 

The agenda for the meeting can be found here

Preliminary Items 

Verbal update

Strategy and Performance 

Verbal update

The purpose of this paper is to update the Board of key issues facing the Trust.

Chief Executive Report

Listening and Learning

Verbal

Verbal 

Presentation

Trust Strategy and Enablers 

To assure the Trust Board of the progress of the Trust’s 2025/26 Strategic Objectives following a review at the end of quarter 4.
The paper will highlight key updates and provide assurance on progress made (including benefits) delivered from the 2025/26 Strategic Objectives and identify any risks, the actions taken and provide recommendations for mitigation.

Year end Review: Strategic objectives 2025/26

Verbal 

To provide assurance to Board on the robustness of the Sickness Absence Delivery Plan for 2026/27 which meets the requirement outlined in the NHS England (NHSE) letter confirming the Trust’s operational plan as compliant with conditions, of which a key condition is a ‘fully developed Board-approved sickness reduction plan by end of Q1 2026/27’.

Sickness Absence Delivery Plan

Appendix 1 - NHSE NEAS Plan Close Down Letter

Appendix 2 - Sickness Delivery Plan

Quality and Our Patients

Performance

To provide Board with an overview of key performance metrics covering quality and safety, clinical, operational performance, people and finance.

 Integrated Quality and Performance

Appendix 1 - Integrated Quality and Performance Report

People

This report is to inform the Board of the activities undertaken by the Freedom to Speak Up Guardians over the last financial year (2025/26) and includes details surrounding ‘Speaking Up’ within NEAS, alongside the work undertaken to improve our speaking up culture and plans for 2026/27.

Annual Report: Freedom to Speak Up

Regulatory and Governance

To set out a proposed approach to Board engagement for 2026/27 and provide a summary of engagement undertaken in 2025/26.

Board engagement 2026/27

To review the policies reserved for Board as defined in the Scheme of Reservation and Delegation.

Policies reserved for Board

To give the Board an overview of the use of the corporate seal in the financial year 2025/26.

Register of use of the Trust's Seal

Effective Meeting Management

  • Risks identified
  • Share with teams and governors
  • Evaluation questions

Thursday 16 July 2026, 10:00, Tyne Room, Bernicia House