New chair for St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust
The Appointments Commission has announced the appointment of Christopher Smallwood as the new chair of St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. He will take up his position from 1st November 2011 and succeeds Naaz Coker who has come to the end of her eight year term of office.
Christopher has extensive NHS experience having previously been chair of Kingston Hospital NHS Trust and prior to that, chair of NHS Hounslow. He is a policy adviser to The Prince’s Charities and until 2005, was economic adviser to Barclays plc, following several years as a partner at the City consultancy Makinson Cowell. Christopher has also worked at TSB Group as strategic development director and chief economist. He was economics editor of The Sunday Times and chief economist and head of financial strategy and planning for BP. He has been an economic adviser to HM Treasury and a special adviser at the Cabinet Office. He was also, until recently, a member of the Competition Commission.
Speaking about his appointment, Christopher said: “I am delighted to be joining St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust at this crucial and exciting time and I look forward to working with the board and staff as the trust continues to develop its services to meet the needs of the modern NHS. The trust has a significant role to play in ensuring that the public in southwest London continue to have access to first class healthcare services in hospital and community settings. I would like to pay tribute to Naaz Coker for her leadership over the last eight years during which time the trust has become established as a major trauma centre and hyper-acute stroke unit, significantly improved its quality and safety of care, successfully integrated with community services Wandsworth and worked to improve its financial position.”
Naaz Coker said: “I would like to congratulate Christopher on his appointment as Chairman of St George’s Healthcare. I have been proud to serve St George’s over the past eight years and wish him every success for the future as he steers the trust towards Foundation Trust status and in enhancing its position as a key player in the southwest London healthcare economy.”
Notes to editors
For more information, please contact the communications team at St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust on 020 8725 5151 or emailcommunications@stgeorges.nhs.uk. Outside working hours, please page the team by calling 0844 822 2888, leaving a short message and contact details for pager SG548.
