NHS Providers have settled on current chief executive of The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Julian Hartley, to become its new chief executive.
Hartley will replace interim chief executive Saffron Cordery from the 1st of February 2023 as the membership body looks to move into a new era.
Announcing the appointment, NHS Providers’ chair, Ron Kerr, said he was “delighted” at the appointment, before expressing his excitement about how Hartley will be an “excellent” chief executive in the years to come.
He said: "We have been through a fair and thorough process to find the right person to provide leadership and support for our members, to carry authority and influence with stakeholders, and to enthuse and inspire our staff team, reflecting our values and our commitment to race equality.
"I am confident that Julian, who brings a wealth of experience and a long track record of success, has all the qualities and skills to build on NHS Providers' achievements. His work at Leeds, including the implementation of The Leeds Way and Leeds Improvement Method, and the leadership he has provided in response to the pandemic, has been very impressive.
"I would like to express my thanks to our board members who have overseen this process with diligence and insight, and to NHS Providers’ leadership and staff teams who have maintained the organisation’s very high standards through this period of uncertainty.
"I would also like to place on record my particular thanks to Saffron Cordery, who as deputy and then interim chief executive has led NHS Providers with great dynamism, wisdom and integrity."
Responding to his appointment, Hartley put his debt to the NHS on record, describing how he owes them everything “in terms of opportunities and learning”.
He statement read: "I would like to thank Ron Kerr and the NHS Providers board for giving me the opportunity to take up this very important role for trusts, their partners and the wider NHS. I am motivated by the opportunity to champion and advocate for NHS organisations at a time of great challenge and pressure faced by all who work in the health service.
"I want to bring my experience and insight to the wider debate about the NHS at a time when we face one of the most challenging periods in its history. I owe the NHS everything in terms of the opportunities and learning it has offered me and I want to help in securing a positive future for the NHS at this critical juncture.
"Given the current severe workforce, operational and financial challenges faced by the NHS, the task of highlighting and explaining the work of trusts and their partners in tackling these has never been more important."
