Hospital chief exec to take up new role with SHA

The former nurse has been chief executive at the trust for 12 years.

She said: “I feel very privileged to have been able to work with so many talented and dedicated staff who have helped make us one of the best performing and highly regarded NHS trusts in the country. This has been a real team effort thanks to staff at all levels of seniority.

“Chelsea and Westminster consistently ranks as one of the best providers of high quality clinical care nationally, as demonstrated recently by the Dr Foster Hospital Guide naming us as the best hospital in England for low mortality rates.

“Our financial stability has enabled us to become a foundation trust and invest in significant improvements to patient care including a new Lower Ground Floor Outpatients Department which opened last year and new Paediatrics and HIV facilities which are due to be completed later this month.

“I am proud to have led Chelsea and Westminster over the last 12 years and I am confident that the trust will enjoy continued success under new leadership which will be able to build on the strong foundations provided by the hard work of all staff.”

She is due to leave in the summer and will until then divide her time between the trust and her new duites with the SHA.

NHS London said Ms Lawrence would be “help[ing] hospitals in the capital make vital savings to achieve foundation trust status.”

Chief executive Ruth Carnall said: “Heather brings years of experience of delivering this sort of improvement at Chelsea and Westminster, and I am greatly looking forward to working with her to help all of our providers to reach their full potential in this area.

“Work done at NHS London to analyse the productivity of acute trusts in London compared with similar trusts across the country has raised a need for this to be improved. Heather will lead a new unit focused on improving trust productivity in London.”