‘Outstanding’ trust appoints new chief executive

Louise Ashley, who is currently chief executive of the Dartford and Gravesham Trust in Kent, will join Homerton Healthcare Foundation Trust in the autumn and will also be the place-based leader of the City and Hackney Health and Care Partnership.

Homerton’s previous chief executive, Tracey Fletcher, recently left to run East Kent Hospitals University FT and the trust is currently being run by acting chief executive Dylan Jones.

Ms Ashley – who has had two previous stints working at Homerton – joined Dartford and Gravesham four years ago and has seen its Care Quality Commission rating rise from “requires improvement” to “good.”

She said: “I am delighted to be joining Homerton Healthcare as chief executive and to be taking the executive lead in the City & Hackney Health and Care Partnership. I also have close personal connections to north east London, having lived there for most of my adult life.

“Homerton Healthcare has a tremendous reputation both within its local communities and throughout the NHS. Tracey is a superb CEO and a tough act to follow, but I shall make it my priority to ensure that this reputation for quality and excellence is maintained.”

Ms Ashley’s appointment was welcomed by trust chair Sir John Gieve, who praised her “strong track record” as a leader, and councillor Chris Kennedy, health lead for Hackney Council, who said the council looked forward to working with her to strengthen the provision of local health and social care services.

Zina Etheridge, the chief executive of the North East London Integrated Care Board said: “Louise will be joining Homerton at an important time of change as we further develop our integrated system across NE London. We look forward to working with her as we develop our local NHS collaborations across acute and community services.”

Dartford and Gravesham chair Peter Coles praised Ms Ashley’s leadership, saying she had managed the trust through “some of the most difficult and trying times in its history”.

Ms Ashley, who trained as a nurse, worked at Central London Community Healthcare Trust for six years before moving to Dartford and Gravesham.