Movers and shakers news round-up

Healthcare industry movers this month include appointments and departures at NHS England, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust and the Professional Record Standards Body (PRSB).

Diane Hull has been appointed chief nurse at Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT).

Hull will join NSFT later this year from her current role at Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust, where she played an “instrumental role” in improving the trust’s CQC rating. She has also held several senior roles at East London Foundation Trust.

Commenting on her appointment, Hull said: “I am completely patient-focused and want to hear from as many different patient groups, carers, staff and communities as possible so that we can really understand what they feel we are doing well and where we could further improve. They are the experts and its vital we listen to them.

“Another priority for me will be giving people confidence in our services. It is difficult enough when you are struggling with your mental health, but must be even more challenging if you don’t feel assured about the services you are receiving because of the CQC rating.

“I want to be part of the solution by helping to make things better by engaging with our stakeholders and working together in partnership to drive improvements.

“It will also be vitally important for us to make sure our services are safe – until that happens, we can’t start being creative and finding innovative ways of working to benefit service users.

Joanna Smith has left Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust for Qatar, where she has taken up a CIO role at Sidra Medicine in Doha.

Smith had served as CIO at Royal Brompton & Harefield since January 2013.

A spokesperson at the trust said: “We are sad to see Joanna go, and very grateful for her contribution to our digital information services over the past five years. We are in the process of recruiting a new CIO, and wish Joanna all the best in her new role.”

Stephen Graves is retiring as chief executive of North West Anglia Foundation Trust as it enters its next stage of transformation.

Graves was credited by chairman Rob Hughes for overseeing the merger of Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust, and the partnership developed with Doddington Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital in Ely and North Cambs Hospital in Wisbech.

He will remain as CEO until a replacement is selected.

Graves said in a statement: “Following the merger of our organisation in April 2017, we have now reached a landmark in the development of our services by publishing our Clinical Strategy 2018-2023 and we are pushing ahead with the integration of services across our hospitals.

“The next stage of development in the local NHS will see the further growth of services on our sites and a greater integration of care, with pre and post hospital services and further opportunities for staff to develop their careers.

“To take the Trust forward requires commitment for a number of years and hence I have decided that it is the time for me to announce my retirement to enable the right person to progress the future development of this fantastic organisation.”

Paul Baumann, chief financial officer for NHS England, has left the Health Service after 11 years to take up the role of receiver general of Westminster Abbey.

Baumann joined NHS London as its first chief financial officer in May 2007, before moving into the CFO position at NHS England in May 2012.

NHS England credited Baumann for managing the organisation’s finances “during one of the most financially challenging periods in its history,” and for providing leadership to various major programmes such as specialised commissioning and devolution to Greater Manchester, London and Surrey.

Baumann said: “It has been a privilege to work in the NHS, both in London and nationally. This has been a time of exceptional challenge for the service, and I am deeply grateful for the commitment and professionalism of colleagues across the NHS and within NHS England who have worked so hard to secure the best possible value – for patients and for taxpayers – with the public money under our stewardship.

“With a long-term financial settlement now in place, I wish the NHS well as it moves forward from its 70th birthday to the next phase of its distinguished history of constant innovation and dedicated service.

“The creation of a single leadership team for the NHS nationally will help the service capture the many opportunities which lie ahead, and I wish my successor every success as I move onto my next challenge.”

Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said the organisation would shortly be advertising for a joint chief financial officer across NHS England and NHS Improvement.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has appointed Dr Sarah Clarke to its board of trustees.

Dr Clarke is a clinician working as a consultant interventional cardiologist at Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge and has recently finished her tenure as President of the British Cardiovascular Society.

She will take up her role on 16 October.

BHF said Dr Clarke would bring “a breadth of managerial, cardiology and NHS experience” to the organisation, having held strategic leadership positions on both national and international levels

Dr Clarke is also an elected member of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and holds several leadership roles at the American College of Cardiology.

Commenting on her appointment, she said: “I am delighted to be joining the BHF’s Board at this exciting time in the charity’s journey. From my experience as a cardiologist, I’ve seen first-hand the huge impact BHF research has had in improving the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of all heart and circulatory diseases.

“However, with seven million people still living with these conditions, I also know how big a challenge we face in turning promising research in to new treatments that could help save more lives. I hope my experience within the NHS and at the forefront of UK cardiology can help the BHF achieve this.”

The Professional Record Standards Body (PRSB) has announced that Dr Afzal Chaudhry is joining the organisation as its new vice-chair, effective 2 July. Dr Chaudhry is chief medical information officer at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH).

Dr Chaudhry has been a member of the PRSB for more than two years, leading on clinical advisory work to improve diagnosis recording and patient care, contributing to our Advisory Board, supporting the assurance committee and actively contributing to the development of all our standards.

In a statement, PRSB said Dr Chaudhry’s appointment “reflects his commitment to improving information sharing for better health and social care by digitising care records.”

Speaking about the announcement, Lorraine Foley, PRSB CEO, said: “Afzal has displayed dedication to the PRSB mission, continually looking for new and innovative ways to improve information sharing in the health and care sector, while maintaining the best interests of patients.

“We are pleased to welcome Afzal to the Board and look forward to continuing our partnership with him.”