The appointment was formally announced at the Trust’s Annual Members Meeting, held at Doncaster Royal Infirmary in late September.
Mark will take up the position in January 2026, following the completion of Suzy Brain England OBE’s final term of office at the end of 2025.
The Chair plays a vital role in leading the Board, ensuring it sets the organisation’s overall strategy, holds the executive team to account and acts in the best interests of patients and local communities. The Chair also works closely with the Council of Governors, representing the views of members and the public, and ensuring that the organisation remains open, transparent and focused on delivering high-quality care.
Mark has been a Non-Executive Director at DBTH since 2020. During this time, he has led Board Committees covering Charity, People, Finance and Performance and also operated as the Chair of Doncaster and Bassetlaw Health Services Ltd, providing oversight and guidance on key areas of the organisation’s work.
He also serves as a Non-Executive at the Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, Chair of the NHS Retirement Fellowship Charity and a trustee at Ashgate Hospice on a voluntary basis.
Mark brings three decades of business experience from a career in the aviation and power generation sector at FTSE 100 company Rolls-Royce plc where he held a range of customer facing leadership positions, including Group Director for Customers and Services.
With a background in engineering and manufacturing, Mark has developed expertise in strategic partnerships, business growth and customer service transformation. He has led on the implementation of digital and preventative analytics in safety critical environments – an area of growing importance as DBTH continues to modernise the way it uses technology in patient care.
Originally from Armthorpe, Doncaster, Mark now lives with his family in Ashbourne, on the edge of the Peak District in Derbyshire.
Richard Parker OBE, Chief Executive at DBTH, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Mark as Interim Chair. He has been an active and valued member of the Board since 2020 and brings with him a wealth of experience from both the private and public sectors.
“I look forward to working closely with him as we strive to deliver high-quality care for our patients and communities.”
Mark Bailey said: “My professional career has been very much about customer service; bringing people and technology together to deliver outcomes that matter to us all every day. At such at this important time for the NHS locally and nationally it is a great privilege to now have this opportunity to serve DBTH as Interim Chair.
“This Trust means a great deal to me personally. My brother was born at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, both of my late parents were cared for here, and two of my nieces have had children at Bassetlaw Hospital. As a young boy I myself had a pretty long stay at the Doncaster Royal Infirmary after surgery – so I know first-hand the critical role the skills and dedication to care of our teams has on the lives of local people and their families.
“I am excited about what lies ahead as we build on our new strategy and deliver key programmes such as the Electronic Patient Record and our ambitious capital developments. I look forward to working with colleagues and partners to make real progress for our patients and communities.”
“Finally, I want to thank Suzy for her outstanding leadership over the past nine years – she leaves a lasting legacy.”
Suzy Brain England OBE, who joined DBTH as Chair in 2016, will complete her final term of office at the end of 2025, officially stepping down on 31 December.