A new chair has been chosen for Royal Cornwall Hospitals, the NHS trust has announced.
NHS England has confirmed that David Allen OBE will be the new chair, succeeding Dr Mairi McLean who will step down in the new year after serving the maximum term for a non-executive board member.
Allen’s first day will coincide with the trust’s first public board meeting of 2025 – 7 January.
Experience
Allen has previously been non-executive director and vice chair at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust.
Allen has accrued much of his experience in the education sector, however, where he recently worked as a private consultant.
He has extensive board experience having also been the chair at both the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales and Exeter College Further Education Corporation. He further held deputy CEO and registrar roles at the universities of:
- Exeter
- Birmingham
- Nottingham
In these roles, Allen collaborated with the NHS as well as medical schools – he spent a decade leading the joint venture that developed and operated the Combined Universities in Cornwall.
Exciting developments
CEO at RCHT, Steve Williamson, hailed Allen’s wealth of senior and board-level experience from across the healthcare and educational sectors.
“David is well-acquainted with the opportunities and challenges the NHS faces and will bring extensive Board-level experience to both the Trust and the broader NHS in the South West,” said NHSE’s south west director, Elizabeth O’Mahony.
Allen said: “It’s a genuine privilege to be joining RCHT, particularly with the exciting developments on the horizon.”
The news follows a similar shake-up at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.
Image credits iStock & Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
