The boss of one of the North East's NHS trusts has described the past year as one of the "hardest" the health service has ever faced.
Alistair Blair, the executive medical director of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said normal winter pressures had combined with the likes of Strep A and Covid to make life extremely difficult for staff.
Dr Blair was introducing the trust's annual quality report to members of Northumberland County Council's health and wellbeing overview and scrutiny committee on Tuesday.
