Published 7 February 2018
A new permanent chairman for East Kent Hospitals has been appointed to lead the Trust.
Prof Stephen Smith is currently a Non-Executive Director for Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Stephen is a gynaecologist by training and has held prominent positions including as Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Cambridge before becoming Principal (Dean) of the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College, London. He has published more than 230 papers on reproductive medicine and cancer. He was awarded his Doctor of Science in 2001 for his work in Cambridge on the complex gene pathways that regulate the growth of blood vessels in reproductive tissue.
He led the formation of the UK's first Academic Health Science Centre at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and was the Trust’s CEO from 2007-2011.
Stephen was founding Dean of a new joint medical school between Imperial College and Nanyang Technological University Singapore, the latter one of the top four universities in Asia.
Most recently Stephen was Dean of the University of Melbourne for two years until September 2015 where he was also a Non-Executive Director. He was a Non-Executive Director at the National Healthcare Group, one of the three comprehensive medical groups in Singapore of the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the State of Victoria, Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Australia.
Dr Peter Carter OBE, who chaired the interview panel, has been Interim Chairman of East Kent Hospitals since October 2017. Peter said: “I am delighted that we have been able to secure a permanent chairman of such high calibre and experience.
“I have enjoyed enormously my time as Interim Chairman of the Trust, meeting many of its excellent staff. One of the most important parts of the job has been working with our governors to find a permanent successor to support the Trust to overcome some of the more recent significant challenges we are all experiencing in the NHS and build on the improvements that saw the Trust come out of quality special measures in 2017.
“Stephen has a wealth of national and international experience and is the ideal person to lead the Trust and take it forward.”
Stephen added: “East Kent Hospitals is a large complex trust which is at an important part in its journey as a healthcare provider. I am delighted that I will be leading the Trust on this journey.
“I am passionate about patient care and patient and staff experience. Leading a healthcare organisation is a significant responsibility and a huge privilege and I am looking forward to meeting the teams of dedicated clinical and support staff and helping the Trust achieve high standards of care for our patients.”
Stephen joins East Kent Hospitals on 1 March 2018.
