The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust has appointed Dr Nina Maryanji as its new Chief Medical Officer following a competitive national recruitment process.
Dr Maryanji officially joined the Trust on 1 September, bringing extensive experience in clinical leadership, emergency medicine and healthcare transformation. She joins from NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, where she served as Divisional Medical Director for Medicine and Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Aintree Hospital.
A Liverpool native, Dr Maryanji graduated in medicine from the University of Nottingham before completing specialist training in emergency medicine in Scotland. During her early career, she worked across hospitals in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Falkirk and undertook a clinical research fellowship in cardiovascular medicine at the University of Edinburgh.
She returned to Merseyside in 2013, taking up a clinical director and consultant role at Aintree University Hospital. Alongside her hospital responsibilities, Dr Maryanji spent eight years working part-time as a MERIT doctor for North West Ambulance Service, providing medical support at major incidents across the region.
Her experience extends beyond the NHS. During annual leave, she worked as a motorsports doctor in Abu Dhabi, leading medical response teams at Formula 1 races and the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. The role demanded exceptional teamwork and rapid decision-making, with her team consistently meeting the critical requirement of extracting drivers from vehicles in less than five minutes, often achieving the task in just two minutes.
As the first non-oncologist to hold the position of Chief Medical Officer at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, Dr Maryanji offers a unique blend of frontline clinical expertise, operational leadership and strategic insight.
Her appointment comes as healthcare providers continue to focus on improving urgent and emergency care pathways for cancer patients, many of whom can become seriously unwell due to treatment side effects or complications arising from their condition.
Improving urgent and emergency cancer care will be among her priorities. The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, alongside partners across Cheshire and Merseyside and the Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance, is leading the UK's first dedicated transformation programme focused on improving urgent and emergency cancer assessment and treatment pathways.
Chief Executive Joan Spencer said:
“Nina is a phenomenal leader with great energy and ideas, and the ability to bring people together to get things working effectively and deliver changes that will really benefit patients. Her background in emergency medicine means she has enormous insight and understanding of cancer from a different perspective, complementing our expertise in oncology. I am very much looking forward to working with her.”
Speaking of her appointment, Dr Nina Maryanji said:
“I am delighted to be joining The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre as Chief Medical Officer. Liverpool has shaped both my personal and professional life, and after 14 years serving patients across the city region, I am proud to take on this role in an organisation whose work touches so many lives.
“Clatterbridge's commitment to excellence, innovation and compassionate care is one I strongly share. I look forward to working with colleagues and partners across the Trust and beyond to continue improving outcomes for patients and their families, while championing a culture in which our people can continue to thrive and deliver exceptional care.”
With a strong track record of leading clinical services, driving innovation and improving patient outcomes, Dr Maryanji's appointment marks an important addition to the executive leadership team as The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre continues to strengthen cancer services across the region.
Image credit: The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS FT
