Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals appoints new Chief Executive

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has appointed Richard Parker as its new Chief Executive. Richard’s appointment was given the seal of approval…

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has appointed Richard Parker as its new Chief Executive.

Richard’s appointment was given the seal of approval by the Trust’s Board of Governors, having been selected from a strong field of shortlisted candidates following a national recruitment process led by the NHS Leadership Academy.

Working within the NHS for over 30 years, Richard has served as the Trust’s Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Quality since October 2013. In this role he has overseen significant improvements to the organisation’s overall performance, helping to significantly develop the quality of clinical services.

Spending almost his entire career within South Yorkshire, Richard qualified as a Registered General Nurse in 1985, subsequently specialising in intensive care at Sheffield Northern General Hospital and Leeds General Infirmary. He joined, what was, Doncaster and Montagu Hospitals in 1992 as a Clinical Nurse Specialist for Intensive Care and later became Assistant Associate Manager of Anaesthetics and Theatre Services.

Later, Richard worked in senior nursing and clinical management roles at Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Royal Hospital. In 2002, Richard was appointed as Director of Nursing for Critical Care, Anaesthesia and Operating Services at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, becoming Deputy Chief Nurse in 2005 before rising to the role of Chief Operating Officer in 2013.

Speaking about his appointment, Richard said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been appointed Chief Executive of Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals. It has been a pleasure to have been a part of Team DBTH over the past four years and I look forward to leading the Trust into, what promises to be, an exciting new chapter as a teaching hospital.

“As the Director of Nursing, my focus has been on ensuring that we deliver safe, effective and quality services for the people of Doncaster, Bassetlaw and beyond, and this will continue as I assume the wider responsibilities of Chief Executive.”

Richard succeeds the Trust’s previous Chief Executive, Mike Pinkerton, who retired in January 2017 having led the organisation for four years.

Suzy Brain England OBE, Trust Chair, said: “Richard was appointed because we believe he has the vision to provide the best possible service for our communities, along with the knowledge to transform what the Trust does for the better. He has shown a canny ability to listen to and motivate staff, focus on patient need and serve as an effective partner to a great range of stakeholders, all of which will help us meet the wider health and social care necessities of our patients.

“We’ve been very fortunate to have someone of Richard’s calibre and experience within the Trust for a number of years and now as Chief Executive I expect that his leadership and vision will continue to shape the organisation. Richard was appointed from a very strong field of candidates and I am sure he will successfully lead the organisation for many years to come.”