A new Chief Executive has been appointed to the Northern Care Alliance; Dr Owen Williams OBE.
The news comes as the current Chief Executive, Raj Jain, made the decision in April to retire from the NHS at the end of the summer.
Dr Williams has been Chief Executive of Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT) since 2012, and in 2020 was awarded an OBE for services to health and care. He also currently holds a number of roles within the NHS, including Vice-Chair of the NHS Confederation, and the Chair of the National Health Inequalities Expert Advisory Group.
The Northern Care Alliance was introduced in 2016 and joins together the Salford Royal and Pennine Acute NHS Trusts, across hospitals and community services in Salford, Oldham, Bury and Rochdale.
Dr Owen Williams OBE, said: “I am both delighted and honoured to be taking up the Chief Executive role at NCA. Across each of the care organisations there is a track record of providing great care for the communities that we serve and, without a shadow of doubt, every one of our 20,000 colleagues have visibly stepped up to meet the challenges of the pandemic.
“The Board’s ongoing commitment to patient quality and safety, alongside their desire to provide the maximum support possible to colleagues providing care, is what attracted me to the role. This, together with collaborating further with our partners, presents a real opportunity for us to collectively move forward with confidence.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues at my current organisation, CHFT, who have been the embodiment of what it means to be in public service.”
Ellen Armistead, who is currently Executive Nurse Director / Deputy Chief Executive at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, will assume the role of Interim Chief Executive, until a permanent appointment is made by the board.
Professor Luger, commented on the news: “On behalf of our Board of Directors and Council of Governors, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Owen Williams as our new Chief Executive. This follows a thorough national search and rigorous and inclusive process of recruitment and selection.
“This is an exciting time for Owen to join our organisation. He will bring his wealth of experience and strong leadership skills gained from the NHS and his senior roles in local government to lead and drive forward our plans and aspirations in the next exciting step on our NCA journey. As we head towards the completion of the PAT Transaction, this is the start of a new era for the Northern Care Alliance and our NCA Family. I am in no doubt Owen will build on the foundations our group has made over the last five years and progress further to make us the employer and provider of choice so that we support and meet the needs of our staff, patients and the communities we serve.”
