Trust chief executive quits to take job in Qatar

Trust staff were told this morning that Neil Dardis will leave Frimley Health Foundation Trust in the spring after six years as CEO. He has worked in the NHS for more than 25 years and was formerly chief executive at Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust. 

In a message to staff, Mr Dardis said: “This was an unexpected offer and it has been a really hard decision to make. As many of you will know, this has been a difficult year for me personally after losing my mum in February and so, after very careful thought, I have decided that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity that is right for me and my family at this time.

“I will be incredibly sad to leave Frimley Health and I have made many friends and colleagues who I will be so sorry to say goodbye to. Being a leader in the NHS is special, and to be chief executive of Frimley Health is one of the best jobs in the NHS – it is the greatest privilege I have ever had to work with you all in caring for the communities we serve.

“It is humbling to be offered such a prestigious role and I am excited by the opportunity to use my skills and experience in a different culture and environment, whilst at the same time embracing this unique chance to make such a positive difference for my family.”

Trust chair Bryan Ingleby described Mr Dardis – who has been on HSJ’s top chief executives power list multiple times – as a “visible, ambitious and passionate leader” and said he was grateful for all he had done at Frimley Health.

Mr Ingleby continued: “Neil demonstrated great leadership in his role through the pandemic and he has always prioritised valuing our staff and quality for our patients, demonstrated by maintaining the trust’s [Care Quality Commission] ratings, including a good rating for maternity this year.

“Neil has delivered significant service and infrastructure improvements such as our £100m state-of-the-art planned care facility at Heatherwood Hospital, our £50m emergency assessment centre at Wexham Park and the transformation of our digital capability, with the introduction of our new electronic patient record.

“Neil has shown leadership in system working by integrating community services into the trust and through collaboration with health and care partners and he leaves the trust with the construction of a new £49m inpatient and diagnostic unit in progress and having secured a place in the national New Hospital Programme to replace Frimley Park Hospital by 2030.”

Frimley Park Hospital is rated “outstanding” by the CQC with the trust as a whole as “good”. Before Mr Dardis took up the role, it had been run by Andrew Morris – now deputy chair of NHS England – for close to 30 years.