Appointments – June 2021
Bob Alexander has been appointed acting chair of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. The former deputy chief executive and executive director of resources at NHS Improvement joined the trust’s board as a nonexecutive director in October 2020. He is also currently independent chair of the Sussex Health and Care Partnership Integrated Care System.
Shona Dunn is now second permanent secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care, replacing David Williams, who has moved to the Ministry of Defence as permanent secretary. Ms Dunn, who has held senior roles across government, including the Home Office and Cabinet Office, will oversee finance and operations at the Department. Mr Williams has been at the health and care department for six years, first as director general for finance and operations, then second permanent secretary.
Hayley Wardle (pictured) has been appointed executive director of finance at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust. She joined the trust in May 2020 as deputy director of finance and has held senior posts at national level at NHS England and NHS Improvement. She takes up the role following the retirement of Julia Pattison.
Northern Ireland’s Health and Social Care Board has appointed Tracey McCaig as interim director of finance. Prior to her appointment she was assistant director of finance at the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, a post she took up in May 2017. She has spent 32 years in health and social care finance, holding a range of senior roles in the NI Ambulance Service, Health and Social Care Board and Public Health Agency.
Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has appointed Lei Wei (pictured) chief finance officer. She initially joined the trust last November as director of finance, but is stepping into the CFO role to succeed Graham Wareham, who is now chief executive. Ms Wei comes from a medical background and is a qualified accountant and project manager. She was previously interim chief finance officer and director of finance at London clinical commissioning groups and integrated care systems.
Terry Whittle has moved to Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust as director of finance. He was previously director of financial performance at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, with responsibility for Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital and for group clinical services. An alumnus of the NHS graduate training programme, he has held senior roles at regional and national level, and is a member of the HFMA Policy and Research Committee. Mr Whittle succeeds Mike Keech, who is now chief financial officer at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Eric Gardiner (pictured) has joined North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust as director of finance, performance and estates. He moves from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, where he was finance director – provider services. Mr Gardiner has more than 20 years’ experience working in the NHS. He succeeds Lorraine Hooper, who has been appointed executive director of finance, information and estates at Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.
North Devon Healthcare NHS Trust and Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust have taken a further step towards integration with the appointment of joint board and leadership teams. Chris Tidman, formerly the Royal Devon’s chief finance officer, has been appointed deputy chief executive. He joins chief executive and former HFMA president Suzanne Tracey, who became chief executive of both trusts in 2018. As well as deputising for the chief executive, Mr Tidman will take on responsibility for estates, programmes, strategy and partnerships, and communications and engagement. Angela Hibbard (pictured), who was previously director of finance, performance and facilities at the North Devon trust, has been appointed chief finance officer. She will be responsible for strategic finance management and planning across Northern and Eastern Devon, as well as leading the teams across both sites. The trusts aim to become a single organisation from April 2022.
University Hospital Southampton (UHS) NHS Foundation Trust has appointed David French (pictured) chief executive. Mr French joined the trust in 2016 as chief financial officer and also became deputy chief executive in 2019.
Mr French has been interim chief executive of the trust since November last year, but has now been confirmed in the substantive post following a robust recruitment process, the trust said. A chartered management accountant, he was previously CFO at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and has extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry.
He said it was an honour to be appointed chief executive of UHS and was proud of the trust’s values and staff. ‘I am looking forward to working closely with colleagues in the trust and with our partners across Hampshire and Isle of Wight to ensure we continue to provide world-class care,’ he said. ‘Together with an ambitious and talented senior leadership team, I am delighted to be leading UHS into an exciting phase of our future development.’
Peter Hollins, chair of UHS, added: ‘Throughout his time in the interim role and during the selection process, David has demonstrated exactly the right range of skills to take UHS into the future and at the same time ensure that it plays a leading role in the wider Hampshire and Isle of Wight healthcare system.
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