Joint Chief Executive announced for new hospital collaboration

At the beginning of November, Cara Charles-Barks started work as the newly appointed Chief Executive of Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the Royal United Hospitals Bath Foundation Trust and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust.

This followed an earlier decision by the boards of each of the three trusts to establish a collaborative group operating model, which will deliver better outcomes for their respective populations.

Cara was previously Chief Executive Officer at Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust and the Royal United Hospital in Bath.

In a message to staff, she said: “For 75 years, the NHS has survived by pulling together, by adapting to changes and by focussing on the needs of the communities we serve.

“As three hospitals, we now have the opportunity to learn together, to tackle inequalities in access to services, to work together to remove barriers to good health and provide improved health outcomes for all our communities. 

“Today, a person living in Devizes can be offered the same treatment in Bath, Swindon or Salisbury yet their experience and outcomes may vary. But by working and learning together we can reduce those differences.”

Sue Harriman, Chief Executive Officer, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, said: “Cara’s appointment is excellent news for our three hardworking acute hospitals and our wider health and care system.

“True collaboration adds real value to patient care and all three hospital trusts have a unique role to play in strengthening the support that local people and communities count on at every stage of their lives.

“Under Cara’s expert leadership, our hospitals will be stronger together and I look forward to seeing the benefits of these new arrangements over the coming years”.

Hear more from new Chief Executive Cara on the Cake with Joe and Jayne podcast, which is produced by the team at Salisbury District Hospital.