Home > News > St George’s, Epsom and St Helier hospitals group announces new executive team

Published: 9 Dec 2021

A new executive team has been announced to lead St George’s, Epsom and St Helier hospitals group from 10 January 2022.

Jacqueline Totterdell, who has been Group Chief Executive since August 2021, has created one executive team bringing together a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and skills from the leadership teams at St George’s, Epsom and St Helier and external organisations.

Following a rigorous selection process, which included panel interviews made up of senior internal and external assessors, the new group executive team will be:

  • Dr James Marsh, Group Deputy Chief Executive Officer. James is currently Deputy Chief Executive and Joint Medical Director at Epsom and St Helier
  • Dr Richard Jennings, Group Chief Medical Officer. Richard is currently Chief Medical Officer at St George’s
  • Arlene Wellman MBE, Group Chief Nursing Officer. Arlene is currently Chief Nurse at Epsom and St Helier
  • Andrew Grimshaw, Group Chief Finance Officer. Andrew is currently Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Finance Officer at St George’s
  • Paul da Gama, Group Chief People Officer. Paul is currently Chief People Officer at St George’s
  • Stephen Jones, Group Chief Corporate Affairs Officer. Stephen is currently Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at St George’s
  • Kate Slemeck, Managing Director for St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Kate will join us from University Hospitals Sussex where she is currently Managing Director
  • James Blythe, Managing Director for Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust. James is currently Collaboration Director across both St George’s and Epsom and St Helier
  • Thirza Sawtell, Managing Director for Integrated Care. Thirza is currently Executive Director of Integrated Care at Epsom and St Helier.

Appointments to the group directors’ senior teams will be announced in the coming weeks. Biographies of announced directors can be found here.

Jacqueline Totterdell, Group Chief Executive, said: “Creating a team with the experience and expertise that will benefit patients and staff at both Trusts has been a top priority for me. Having one group executive team allows for more joined-up decision making, a larger and more resilient clinical workforce and more access to a wider range of services for patients.

“The two Trusts have many things in common, but most importantly, they both have dedicated and hard-working teams, and I am so proud to lead the hospital group and collaborate even closer with the new executive team and colleagues from both organisations.

“I’d like to thank the executive teams at both Trusts for working with us during this process and for their efforts throughout.”

The two organisations remain committed to the strong partnerships built with local health and care systems in Merton, Wandsworth, Surrey and Sutton and wider strategic partnerships with Integrated Care Systems in South West London and Surrey Heartlands.

They will collaborate more closely on research, staff development, education and training, which will continue to make a vital contribution to the quality and sustainability of clinical care into the future.

Notes to editors

For more information, please contact communications@stgeorges.nhs.uk.