New Matron for Cromer Hospital

Newly-appointed Matron for Cromer Hospital, Sue Tuck, described her new role as 'a dream come true' and has said her first aim is to get the Matron’s role closer to the shopfloor.

The first thing Sue is planning to do when she arrives at Cromer is to move the matron’s office from the spacious, bay-fronted room on the first floor to the ground-floor 'hub' of the hospital.

“I can honestly say I've loved every job I've had,” she says. “But this job is ideal for me because I live in West Runton and I feel I know the area and its people very well.”

“I think it's important to be seen by the staff and patients and to be approachable,” she explains. “The reason I love management is that I'm a people person first and foremost. I love nurturing teams and watching them develop. Hopefully I can use my experience to help staff through the inevitable changes that lie ahead.”

Sue is referring, of course, to the plans for a new hospital at Cromer which are about to be considered by the Strategic Health Authority. If approved, they will bring together a whole range of health services – including mental health and primary care – on a brand new site in North Norfolk.

Despite spending her entire nursing career in Norwich, she is no stranger to change, having been Oncology Nurse Manager throughout the recent move to the Colney Centre at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

Sue's career started in the 1970s when she trained as an enrolled nurse at the former Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. After moving to intensive care nursing, she completed a two-year conversion course to become a registered general nurse and went on become a sister in ITU (Intensive Therapy Unit). She has since gained a degree in nursing practice and is about to begin studying for an MBA this October.