26.04.19
New chief executive appointed to Medway FT
Medway NHS Foundation Trust has appointed its interim chief executive to lead the trust on a permanent basis.
James Devine has been appointed as the substantive chief executive of the trust after replacing Lesley Dwyer on an interim basis when she left to return to Australia in November 2018.
Devine joined the trust in October 2016 as a director of human resources and organisational development and has held senior roles at Barts Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital.
The chair of the trust, Stephen Clark, said: “It is with great pleasure that I am able to announce the appointment of James Devine to the role of chief executive.
“James has the leadership skills and deep understanding of the healthcare environment – with all its challenges and opportunities – that we need to take the trust onto the next stage of transformation.
“I am delighted that he will now continue the work he has started during his time as interim chief executive.”
Devine said he was looking forward to leading Medway FT as it continues to deliver improvements to its patient care.
He said: “It is an incredible privilege to work alongside our fantastic staff, supported by the most committed and determined board I could wish for.
“There is much to do as we continue our progress from better, to best and onto brilliant, but we are making great strides, and have strategies underway to ensure we can inspire and motivate our staff – the best of people – to deliver the best of care.”
Medway FT was placed in special measures in 2013 as part of Sir Bruce Keogh’s review of hospitals which had higher than average mortality rates, but the trust jumped to a ‘requires improvement’ rating in 2017.
The trust still faces financial problems with a forecasted £46m deficit for the end of 2018-19, but former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has previously praised it for “substantial improvements.”