St George’s Hospital Charity has new Chair
St George’s Hospital Charity is delighted to announce the appointment of Anna Walker CB as the new Chair of Trustees. She will join the charity as trustee with immediate effect and take up the post of Chair when the current Chair, Dr Stephen Hickey, retires in September after serving his two terms.
Living locally in Balham, Anna brings with her a wealth of experience at a national level, having served as CEO of the Healthcare Commission ( the predecessor of the Care Quality Commission); Chair at Young Epilepsy; Chair at the Office of Rail and Road; is a Non-Executive Director at Welsh Water; and serves as a Council member of consumer watchdog, Which?. In addition she has served as Director General, Land Use and Rural Affairs in the Dept. of Food and Rural Affairs; Director General, Energy at the Dept. of Trade and Industry; and Deputy Director General, Office of Telecommunications.
Commenting on her appointment, Anna said: “I am delighted to be joining a local organisation which is at the heart of the community. St George’s and Queen Mary’s Hospitals have exceptional reputations for delivering first class healthcare which my own family has benefited from on many occasions. St George’s Hospital Charity has built an impressive reputation for providing value added patient benefit. I am looking forward to leading the Charity, as it pursues independence from the Department of Health, into a new and exciting era of fundraising for major projects at the trust; whilst at the same time continue to provide funds for smaller, but no less important projects, all of which benefit our community.”
In acknowledgement of the contribution of the outgoing Chair, the Charity Chief Executive, Martyn Willis said: “I would like to pay tribute to and offer my sincere thanks for the leadership and dedication of Dr Stephen Hickey during eight years as trustee of St George’s Hospital Charity, four of which he has served as Chair. During Stephen’s tenure we have granted £9.4 million to the trust which has delivered, among other valuable projects, a new MRI Scanner, expansion to the Neo Natal Unit, a Paediatric Assessment Unit in A&E, and work is currently underway to increase capacity in the Chemotherapy Day Unit. On behalf of the Board of Trustees I would like to wish him continued success with the many causes with which he is associated.”