The Councils of Governors of our Trust and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have appointed a new permanent joint chair.
Professor Derek Bell OBE has been appointed following a recruitment process and starts on 1 September 2021.
Professor Bell has 40 years’ experience in the NHS and previously served as President of the Royal College of Physicians. He was awarded an OBE in 2018 for services to Unscheduled Care and Quality Improvement.
Professor Bell will take over from Neil Mundy who was appointed as interim joint chair for both Trusts in February 2021 pending the recruitment of a permanent joint chair.
The two Trusts are the area’s largest employers, with almost 15,000 staff. By continuing to work closely together beyond the pandemic, both organisations hope to make a bigger and lasting impact by:
- Working with local communities and partners to help improve the health and wellbeing of the populations they serve
- Tackling the health and care inequalities that COVID-19 has exacerbated
- Playing a leading role in helping to bring inward investment into the Tees alley and North Yorkshire.
- Strengthening the recruitment and retention of specialist doctors and nurses
Working together with South Tees
Working more closely together will also give both Trusts a stronger collective voice as they look to secure the capital investment needed to rebuild and upgrade existing hospital facilities in Teesside and North Yorkshire.
Angela Seward is lead governor at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She said: “The future of healthcare in the Tees Valley and North Yorkshire lies in working much more closely together. And I am delighted that Derek Bell is joining us as our new permanent joint chair. I would also like to thank Neil Mundy for the work he has done as our interim joint chair whilst this recruitment process took place.”
Tony Horrocks, lead governor at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I am really pleased Derek Bell has chosen to join us and take up this joint role. Coming together to tackle common issues is so important for our patients, service users and communities. My thanks also go to Neil Mundy for his work as our interim joint chair over the last five months.”
