Leading health bosses take top roles at trust

HEALTH chiefs from Salford will step in to provide leadership and support to Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust from next month.

Chairman Jim Potter and chief executive Sir David Dalton, of Salford Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, have agreed to take on the same roles for Pennine Acute on an interim basis.

The move follows the departure of Pennine Acute’s chief executive Dr Gillian Fairfield for a role in the south and the completion of the term of office of the former chairman John Jesky.

Salford Royal is one of the top performing foundation trusts in the country and Sir David Dalton has been chief executive since 2001, leading it to an “outstanding” rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) last year.

The trust is one of only two in the country to achieve this rating and the first in the North of England.

Chris Mayer, deputy chair of Pennine Acute, said: “The Pennine Acute Trust Board welcomes the involvement of colleagues from Salford Royal and we look forward to Jim Potter and Sir David joining our board.

“We want to reassure our staff, patients and stakeholders that we view this new arrangement very positively and that the journey of improvement will continue, indeed we expect improvement will be accelerated as a result of this new partnership with Salford Royal.”