STRUGGLING Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has appointed three experienced leaders to senior executive positions on the Trust Board.
Dr Suneil Kapadia has been appointed as the new chief medical officer, Vicky Morris the new chief nursing officer and Jill Robinson is the director of finance.
The appointments, which are permanent, mean four out of the five most senior positions are filled with substantive staff.
Trust chairman, Caragh Merrick said: “The new appointments bring experience at senior level in both the NHS and private sectors and will help the Trust in moving forward and delivering the high quality, safe care expected by the people of Worcestershire.
“For the first time in many years we know have permanent post holders in place for the majority of our executive director positions and all of the statutory functions are now held by permanent employees.
“This is a major step on our way to becoming an outstanding NHS Trust.”
The trust is currently in special measures following a slate of visits by the Care Quality Commission which listed a catalogue of issues.
These range from missing and unaccounted for drugs, equipment not serviced or tested, and doses of time-critical medicine not being given at the right time.
Chief medical officer Dr Suneil Kapadia is an experienced and skilled executive medical director with a track record of delivering change in challenging organisations and now looking for further opportunities at a more senior level in the acute sector.
Suneil joins the Trust from United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust where he has spent more than three years as medical director.
Chief nurse Vicky Morris has more than ten years’ experience at executive board level. Nominated on to the NHS Top Leaders programme in 2010, she is joining the Trust from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) in Wales where as director of quality assurance she worked alongside the nurse and medical director to support them on their Quality Improvement journey.
Director of finance Jill Robinson joined the Trust’s board on a six-month secondment from NHS Improvement as director of finance from November 1, 2016 and following a competitive interview process is to join the Trust Board on a permanent basis.
She has held a number of senior finance roles in both the NHS and commercial sectors, including Regional Finance lead for NHSi Midlands and East.
