Ian Peters chairs last board meeting
Our group chief executive, Alwen Williams, and non-executive members of the Barts Health board paid generous tribute to our retiring chair Ian Peters for his leadership over the last four years.
Ian chaired his last public board meeting on 7 July before stepping down to focus on his recent appointment as chair of the new Health Security Agency. As Alwen noted, during his tenure we came out of both quality and financial special measures, as well as managing the 2017 cyber attack, multiple terrorist attacks in London, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ian commented: “I joined because of the people I met, the communities we serve, the potential of the trust and its values, and the momentum it had showed in the time since Alwen joined as chief executive. Chairing the group is the hardest thing I have ever done professionally, but undoubtedly it has also been the most rewarding – the ultimate in moral purpose.
“We have made great progress and there is much more still to do, but all the positives have been about #TeamsBartsHealth and the people we serve - who are truly inspiring, humbling, dedicated and passionate. Thank you to everyone, it has been a genuine privilege to be your chair.”
Ian’s successor will shortly be selected through an open NHS England recruitment and will act as chair-in-common of both Barts Health and our neighbours at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust. A successful candidate is expected to take up the role in the summer, and take forward our exploration of closer collaboration with BHRUT.