Clinician appointed hospital’s new chief executive

Neil Ashman has been confirmed as the new leader of the Royal London Hospital in east London, part of Barts Health Trust.

Dr Ashman will take over in September following the retirement of Jackie Sullivan, who has been chief executive of the Royal London for the past six years.

The Royal London Hospital is England’s biggest PFI-financed hospital and was a key part of the capital’s response to the covid waves, turning mothballed wards into intensive care units within weeks.

The consultant nephrologist was appointed clinical transformation director for the £1.7bn trust last year and sat on the group executive board. He was responsible for the six priority transformation programmes in elective care, pathway redesign, medicine, patient safety, diagnostics and urgent and emergency care.

In May the trust announced deputy chief executive Shane DeGaris would take the top job at the trust, following the departure of Alwen Williams. He will be group chief executive of not only Barts but also Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust, which has a turnover of £641m.