Gillian Norton appointed Chairman of Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
Gillian Norton will continue as Chairman of St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and become a Chairman in Common for both organisations
The NHS in London is pleased to announce that Gillian Norton OBE DL will become Chairman of Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust on 1 October 2019.
This appointment will enable the two largest hospital trusts in south west London to collaborate further for the benefit of the communities they serve.
Laurence Newman, current Chairman of Epsom and St Helier since 2011, is retiring from the role on 30 September at the end of his term of office.
Gillian will continue in her role as Chairman of St George’s, which she has held since April 2017.
She has previously held positions as Chief Executive of Richmond Council and Chief Executive of Wokingham Borough Council.
Dr Vin Diwakar, Medical Director for the NHS in London said:
“Laurence has provided excellent stewardship as Chairman of Epsom and St Helier since November 2011. His contribution to the organisation has been both positive and significant.
“Gillian has an outstanding track record of public service and understands both health and social care from her role at St George’s, and her previous roles at Chief Executive level in local government in South West London and Berkshire.
“I trained at St George’s and Epsom and St Helier, and, by appointing a Chairman in Common, I believe Epsom and St Helier and St George’s can continue to build on their collaboration over many years and realise the advantages of closer working for the benefits of staff and patients alike.”
Gillian Norton said:
“I am delighted to have been invited to become Chairman in Common of St George’s and Epsom and St Helier, building on the collaborative working between the two Trusts dating back many years.
“Many patients already receive high quality healthcare from both organisations, and I am confident we can further develop the close working that already exists between teams and services across both organisations to improve the way we deliver care.”
Laurence Newman said:
“It has been a privilege to serve the local populations of Epsom and St Helier for 10 years and to support the incredible staff and volunteers of the hospitals and more recently in the community as they strive for continuous improvement.
“The Trust has a huge amount to be proud of and in the time that I have been there, the team has delivered over 49,400 babies and were the first Trust in London to be awarded the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Gold Award. We have become a consistently strong performer against key quality standards, meeting or exceeding financial targets for the past three years, seeing patients with suspected cancer in a timely manner, and running one of the best hip fracture services in the country.
“I am particularly proud of the Trust being at the forefront of integrated care with local partners building first on Epsom Health and Care to now being system leaders with Surrey Downs Health and Care and Sutton Health and Care. I am also pleased we have secured £100 million to invest in critical infrastructure issues over the course of three years, which included a record £50 million spent on improving facilities and equipment in the last 12 months alone.
“I thank all my colleagues on the Board for their support and commitment over the past 10 years, and in particular pay a heartfelt tribute to all our 6,000 staff who every day strive to provide great healthcare to our patients. Hopefully the next stage of the Trust’s journey will lead to the development of the modern and appropriate buildings and facilities that our staff and patients deserve in the 21st century."
Gillian will take up the role of Chairman for Epsom and St Helier until 31 March 2023.
