Eight members of staff at University Hospital of North Tees have stepped into newly qualified healthcare roles after completing degree apprenticeships alongside their existing jobs.
The group includes four diagnostic radiographers, three physiotherapists and one occupational therapist. Rather than leaving work to full time, they combined university learning with their day-to-day roles over three years, attending Teesside University one day a week while building experience in the hospital.
For people who already have jobs, and family responsibilities, that route matters. Diagnostic radiographer Catrina Madden had worked as a support worker since 2019 and said the apprenticeship made professional training possible without having to stop earning. She described balancing work, home and study as hard work, but worth it.
Her colleague Joann Coles brings a particularly long view to the achievement. She has worked at University Hospital of North Tees for 25 years in different roles and is now beginning a new chapter as a qualified diagnostic radiographer.
The programme is designed to grow skilled staff from within the NHS. Existing employees can gain professional qualifications while continuing to contribute to patient care, bringing years of workplace knowledge with them into newly qualified posts.
Advanced radiographer practitioner Marie Bennett said the wider department had supported the apprentices throughout their training and that the team was proud to see them become fully qualified radiographers.
It is a useful example of what apprenticeships can look like beyond the traditional image of someone starting work straight from school. Here, experienced NHS staff have been able to change direction, progress professionally and stay rooted in the Tees Valley while they train.
: This article is based on information published by North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust / University Hospitals Tees on 26 August 2026.