Publish date: 15 August 2025
Last week we were pleased to welcome The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) for England, Duncan Burton, to our award-winning Health and Care Academy. Duncan had a full tour of the facility, including the simulation suite which is a safe and controlled environment for students and staff to develop and refine their skills. Our Nursing Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals had the opportunity to spend some time with Duncan, sharing clinical experience, successes, and challenges, whilst taking the opportunity to discuss the NHS 10 year plan and what it means at a local level. We also shared with Duncan our enthusiasm and our keenness to be involved in anything nationally where we could use our experience in Northumbria to influence and help shape healthcare in the future.
Whilst here, Duncan surprised three members of our nursing team with a CNO Silver Award which they were each delighted to receive.
Leonie Armstrong, Nurse Consultant, Palliative Care
Howard Mduduzi, Deputy Ward Manager Ward 25 NTGH
Ben Slade, Ward Manager Ward 21 , NTGH
The CNO awards recognise the enormous range of skills, expertise, and enduring compassion that modern nursing and midwifery represent. They celebrate nurses and midwives who go above and beyond their everyday roles to provide excellent care, leadership and inspiration to their colleagues and patients.
Duncan said: “Nursing and midwifery colleagues have an integral role in delivering the 10 Year Health Plan and supporting our existing and future workforce is vital. I was really impressed to learn how the Northumbria Health and Care Academy supports professional development and wellbeing for colleagues across the region, as well as offering routes into nursing associate roles.
“It was great to also spend some time with colleagues from the trust and to be able to present Leonie, Ben and Howard with CNO Silver Awards in recognition of their commitment to improving patient care and supporting their colleagues.”
Marion Dickson, Executive Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals said: “Our award winners were surprised and delighted to be nominated and then receive an award and said how lucky they feel to work in an organisation that has such strong NMAHP leadership, that prioritises and celebrates our NMAHP workforce.”
We look forward to welcoming Duncan back to Northumbria in the future.